opposite ends of the spectrum

scene1:
typical university setting. really cold evening.

me cycling down towards the post office. up pops an anomaly in my field of vision. a pretty girl, may be twenty years old, is standing on the sidewalk and is holding up a placard over her head that reads "FREE HUGS!!"

from the looks of it, i can tell she's a student. i stop and watch her for a few minutes from a distance. she holds the placard as high as she can, and whenever someone walks by, she says something to them and some of them stop to give her a hug. i watch her do this for sometime and i'm dying to find out what's going on. so i go up to her and she says 'do you have the time for a free hug?'. so i give her a quick hug . . . . . or did i just take one? she's the one who's giving away hugs for free, right? or is she the one in need of them? what the hell - ok so we exchange a hug . . . . .

'why're you doing this?'
'doing what?'
'this free hugs thingy'
'well, i've been feeling like shit for the last two days because my dog died. i wanted to cheer myself up. so i thought and thought and came up with this idea.'
'why don't you go shopping like all other girls do?'
<laughs>
'i figured that this way, not only would i feel good, but would also be able to bring a moment of warmth to a few other people while i'm at it'

i generally only come across kind deeds in forwarded emails. but this one was for real. right in front of my eyes. it's a pity i don't carry my camera around with me. i soooooooo wanted to take her picture. i wanted to prepare another similar placard and stand alongside her. but i didn't. i didn't deserve to. i would never have thought of something so nice. there was such a huge gap between her and me. so near . . . . . yet so far.

standing on the street and hugging total strangers - is that something you would be willing to do? would you ever find the time? i wouldn't. never.

scene2:
iraq . . . . . well, watch it for yourself . . . . .



this took place half way across the globe from where i am. yet the video had me immersed in thought with the same intensity as the previous incident did. i would never have thought of something so cruel, spiteful, painful, dehumanizing. a common question i hear many people ask is 'why is there so much hatred in this world?' this video provides one of the answers. this is for real. half way across the globe. right in front of my eyes. so far . . . . . yet so near.

making a bunch of kids run, tantalizing them with a bottle of drinking water and finally denying them it - is that something you would be willing to do? would you ever stoop so low in life? i wouldn't. never.

and that is how the universe remains in a perfectly balanced state. dichotomy.