An inspiring true story that shows just how simple it can be

for one person with an idea to make a difference.

 

 

Aabid Surti is an odd character.

 

A few years ago, the angular, bearded author was invited to meet the President of India to receive a national award for literature at a ceremony in the capital, New Delhi. He politely declined. Absorbed in writing the first draft of his new novel, he cited the reason that he did not have time. But what he has made time for every Sunday for seven years now, is going door-to-door in Mira Road, a non-descript suburb of Mumbai, with a plumber in tow, asking residents if they need their tap fixed for free!

 

As a distinguished Indian painter and author, Aabid has written around 80 books but no story so moved him as the truth about water scarcity on the planet. “I read an interview of the former UN chief Boutros Boutros Ghali,” he recalls, “who said that by 2025 more than 40 countries are expected to experience water crisis. I remembered my childhood in a ghetto fighting for each bucket of water. I knew that shortage of water is the end of civilized life.”

 

Around the same time, in 2007, he was sitting in a friend’s house and noticed a leaky tap. It bothered him. When he pointed it out, his friend, like others, dismissed it casually: it was too expensive and inconvenient to call a plumber for such a minor job – even plumbers resisted coming to only replace old gaskets.

 

A few days later, he came across a statistic in the newspaper: a tap that drips once every second wastes a thousand litres of water in a month. That triggered an idea. He would take a plumber from door to door and fix taps for free – one apartment complex every weekend.

 

As a creative artist, he had earned more goodwill than money and the first challenge was funding. “But,” he says, “if you have a noble thought, nature takes care of it.” Within a few days, he got a message that he was unexpectedly being awarded Rs.1,00,000 by the Hindi Sahitya Sansthan (UP) for his contribution to Hindi literature. And one Sunday morning in 2007, the International Year of Water, he set out with a plumber to fix the problem for his neighbors.

 

He began by simply replacing old O-ring rubber gaskets with new ones, buying new fixtures from the wholesale market. He named his one-man NGO ‘Drop Dead’ and created a tagline: save every drop… or drop dead.

 

Every Sunday, the Drop Dead team – which consisted of Aabid himself, Riyaaz the plumber and a female volunteer Tejal – picked the apartment blocks, got permission from the housing societies, and got to work. A day before, Tejal would hand out pamphlets explaining their mission and paste posters in elevators and apartment lobbies spreading awareness on the looming water crisis. And by Sunday afternoon, they would ensure the buildings were drip-dry.

 

By the end of the first year, they had visited 1533 homes and fixed around 400 taps. Slowly, the news began to spread.

 

In March 2008, director Shekhar Kapur, who was working on his own water conservation film, heard about Aabid’s efforts and wrote on his website: ‘Aabid Surti, thank you so much for who you are. I wish there were more people like you in this world. Keep in touch with us and keep inspiring us. Shekhar.’

 

Local newspapers began to write about Drop Dead, which prompted a further flood of grateful emails and spontaneous messages. One of the most heartfelt messages was from superstar actor-producer Shah Rukh Khan, a longtime fan of Aabid’s work as a comic book creator.

 

After reading the newspaper report titled ‘City of Angels’, he wrote to Aabid: “…It sounds like one of the little big things my dad would have done. Strange that I have enjoyed [your comic] Bahadur in my childhood and enjoyed reading your tap story so many years down the line… when I am father myself. God bless you and yes, I believe in angels after reading the newspaper.”

 

In 2010, Aabid Surti was nominated for the CNN-IBN ‘Be The Change’ Award. In the same year, a television crew from Berlin flew down to follow him on his Sunday rounds which continued come monsoon or shine.

 

It’s hard to say how much water he has saved with his mission, given that the faucets he fixed could have continued leaking for months, and maybe years, had he not rung the doorbell one Sunday morning. But conservatively, it could be estimated that he has single-handedly saved at least 5.5m litres of water till date.

 

In the summer of 2013, the state where Aabid lives is expecting its worst drought in 40 years. Months in advance, the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan has warned citizens to begin conserving water. While ministers lobby for drought-relief packages worth millions of dollars, Aabid sees his own approach as simple and inexpensive.

 

As he rings another door-bell on yet another Sunday in Mira Road, seven years into his one-man mission, he says: “Anyone can launch a water conservation project in his or her area. That’s the beauty of this concept. It doesn’t require much funding or even an office. And most importantly, it puts the power back in our own hands.”

29th may 2012

God’s Message to Women

”When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man’s life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you. I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully.

Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life.

The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side.

You are my perfect angel, my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes are beautiful. Your lips, how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form, your hands so gentle to touch. I’ve caressed your face in your deepest sleep; I’ve held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me. Adam walked with me in the cool of the day and yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you: my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support.

 You are special because you are the extension of me. Man represents my image - Woman, my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man, treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt me. What you do to her, you do to me. In hurting her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father, and the heart of her Father.

Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.”

Did you know that WOMAN was so special in God’s eyes?

Why Go To A Spiritual Place

Why Go To The Spiritual Place (Temple/Church/ Mosque/Guru Dwara)?

A ”devotee” wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the Spiritual Place. ”I’ve gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 mantras. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the Gurus are wasting theirs by giving services at all.

This started a real controversy in the ”Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to the Spiritual Place for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!

Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

True Evaluation

Long times ago, in Egypt lived a famous mystical person name Zun-Nun.

A young man came to visit him and asked ”Teacher, I do not understand

why people like you dress in such a way and very simple, isn’t in this

era was necessary to dress neatly, not only for performance but also

for other reasons?

The mystical only smiled and took his ring from one of his fingers,

and said ”Young friend, I will answer your question, but first do one

thing for me, take this ring and go to the market across this street,

can you sell this for one chip of gold?

Having looked at Zun-Nun’s dirty ring, the young man became doubtful.

”One chip of gold, I am not sure this ring could be sold at that

price.”

”Try first, young man, who knows you did it.” The Young man went to

the market quickly. He offered the ring to the textile, vegetable,

meat, fish traders, and the others. The fact was that no body was

willing to pay for a chip of Gold.

He went back to Zun-Nun residence and reported ”Teacher, no body was

brave to offer more than one chip of silver.”

With a wise smile Zun-Nun said, ”Now go to the Gold Shop at the back

of this street. Show this to the owner or to the gold trader. Don’t

give your price just listen how much he will pay for this ring.”

The Young man went to the shop mentioned and returned with a different

expression from his face. He then reported ”Teacher, the traders in

the market really do not know the value of this ring, the gold trader

offer this ring for one thousand of gold, And the value of this ring

was one thousands times from what the traders in the market offer.

Zun-Nun just smiled subtly and spoke softly, ”That was the answer of

your questions my friend, ”Someone cannot be valued only from his

dress ”The traders in the market” give value like that. But not for

”The gold trader”

So remember all the criticism, snide remarks which we get sometimes,

are from the traders, they do not recognize the gold and put value to

it. So do not lose heart and search for the goldsmiths which will

recognize your value.

Similarly do not get fooled by the outer appearances, a brass may look

like a gold but is not gold. Dig deep before forming an opinion or

judging others.

3rd may 2012

Footprints in the Sand

The Barnyard Duck   

A flock of wild  ducks were flying in formation, heading south for the winter. They formed a beautiful V in the sky, and were admired by everyone who saw them from below..

One day, Wally, one of the wild ducks in the formation, spotted something on the ground that caught his eye. It was a barnyard with a flock of tame ducks who lived on the farm.    They were waddling around on the ground, quacking merrily and eating corn that was thrown on the ground for them every day.

Wally liked what he saw. ”It sure would be nice to have some of that corn,” he thought to himself. ”And all this flying is very tiring. I’d like to just waddle around for a while.”

So after thinking it over a while, Wally left the formation of wild ducks, made a sharp dive to the left, and headed for the barnyard. He landed among the tame ducks, and began to waddle around and quack merrily. He also started eating corn. The formation of wild ducks continued their journey South, but Wally didn’t care. ”I’ll rejoin them when they come back North in a few months, he said to himself.

Several months went by and sure enough, Wally looked up and spotted the flock of wild ducks in formation, heading north. They looked beautiful up there. And Wally was tired of the barnyard. It was muddy and everywhere he waddled, nothing but duck doo. ”It’s time to leave,” said Wally.

So Wally flapped his wings furiously and tried to get airborne. But he had gained some weight from all his corn-eating, and he hadn’t exercised his wings much either. He finally got off the ground, but he was flying too low and slammed into the side of the barn.  He fell to the ground with a thud and said to himself, ”Oh, well, I’ll just wait until they fly south in a few months. Then I’ll rejoin them and become a wild duck again.”

But when the flock flew overhead once more, Wally again tried to lift himself out of the barnyard. He simply didn’t have the strength. Every winter and every spring, he saw his wild duck friends flying overhead, and they would call out to him.  But his attempts to leave were all in vain. Eventually Wally no longer paid any attention to the wild ducks flying overhead. He hardly even noticed them. He had, after all, become a barnyard duck. 

Look what happened to Wally. He thought he would just ”check-it-out” for awhile and then leave when he wanted to. But he couldn’t do it. Sin and bad habits are like that. It is a trap, and it has a way of changing us into people we don’t even want to become. Eventually we lose touch with who we really are

. We become  barnyard ducks.

The Butterfly:

There was once a newborn butterfly at rest, basking on a flower on a bright warm sunny day. A young boy passing by noticed the beauty of this young butterfly. An ecstatic desire to catch it welled up in him as thoughts of showing it to his playmates would be a proud super deal indeed. With these thoughts prevailing, he exhausted all efforts to grasp the butterfly as it escaped him.  The butterfly, in startled panic flew up and away and became entangled in a large abandoned cobweb.

Fear overwhelmed him into a state of emotional collapse. He imagined that the cobweb might become his death bed if he could not escape it. In addition the fear that the young boy might catch him would guarantee the end of him as well.

A mature butterfly of the same species flying in the same area, noticed the plight of the young butterfly and settled down beside it. He spoke to it as follows:

”I see you have become entangled pretty well in this old cobweb. I am going to help you free yourself from it. So please listen. Calm down and trust me as I am older than you and I have encountered many a cobweb myself.

First--the cobweb is of no threat to you as the resident spider has moved away and abandoned it.

Second--the young boy that tried to catch you is now playing in the meadow up ahead with his pals. The boy and his friends had planned to meet in the meadow area where they frequently play.

Third--the boy meant no harm. He simply wanted to show you to his pals, then let you go.

Fourth--I notice you understand what I am saying and that you are nicely calmed. This pleases me. To free yourself apply a steady pressure on the cobweb and continue until the strands break enough to let you go.”

These are your lessons to learn if and when you encounter cobwebs throughout your life.

One - Do not allow minor disappointments to compound into major distresses.

Two - Rushing to premature opinions could be dangerous to your emotions.

Three - Remember that skies are at their most beautiful after a storm has passed.

Fourth - Storms of all categories do not last very long at their worst.

Five - Recovering from despair is accomplished by taking small steps in the right direction.

Six - Finally, dedicate yourself to enjoy the clear skies of life. Welcome their warmth and comfort because they are in the embrace of God, who created all living things.

The Gift of Life

On the very first day, God created the cow. He said to the cow, ”Today I have created you! As a cow, you must go to the field with the farmer all day long. You will work all day under the sun! I will give you a life span of 50 years.”

The cow objected, ”What? This kind of a tough life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years I’ll give back to you.” So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, ”You are supposed to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to bark at them! I’ll give a life span of 20 years.”

The dog objected, ”What? All day long to sit by the door? No way! I give you back my other 10 years of life!” So God agreed.

On the third day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, ”Monkeys have to entertain people. You’ve got to make them laugh and do monkey tricks. I’ll give you 20 years life span.”

The monkey objected. ”What? Make them laugh? Do monkey faces and tricks? Ten years will do, and the other 10 years I’ll give you back.” So God agreed.

On the fourth day, God created man and said to him, ”Your job is to sleep, eat, and play. You will enjoy very much in your life. All you need to do is to enjoy and do nothing. This kind of life, I’ll give you a 20 year life span.”

The man objected. ”What? Such a good life! Eat, play, sleep, do nothing? Enjoy the best and you expect me to live only for 20 years? No way, man!....Why don’t we make a deal? Since the cow gave you back 30 years, and the dog gave you back 10 years and the monkey gave you back 10 years, I will take them from you! That makes my life span 70 years, right?” So God agreed.

AND THAT’S WHY.... In our first 20 years, we eat, sleep, play, enjoy the best and do nothing much. For the next 30 years, we work all day long, suffer and get to support the family. For the next 10 years, we entertain our grandchildren by making monkey faces and monkey tricks. And for the last 10 years, we stay at home, sit by the front door and bark at people!

An Interview With God

I dreamed I had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.

”So, you would like to interview me?” GOD asked.

”If you have time,” I said.

GOD smile. ”My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?”

”What surprises you the most about humankind?”

GOD answered...

”That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.”

”That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health.”

”That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future.”

”That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived.”

GOD’s hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked, ”As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”

GOD replied, ”To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved.”

”To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.”

”To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.”

”To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them.”

”To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.”

”To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings.”

”To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently.”

”To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

”Thank you for your time,” I said humbly. ”Is there anything else you would like your children to know?”

GOD smiled, and said... ”Just know that I am here.” ”Always.”

Two frogs

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them  fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit  was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The  two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit  with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop,  that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took  heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down  and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again,  the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He  jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the  other frogs said, ”Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to  them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the  entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging  word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it  through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes  to kill them.

Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your  path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand  that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak  words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in  difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time  to encourage another.

25th april 2012

The Obstacle in our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid  himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply  walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads  clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching  the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to  the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that  the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle  presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

 THE 4 WIVES

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He’s very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant’s confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant’s 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, ”Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I’ll be alone. How lonely I’ll be!”

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, ”I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” ”No way!” replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant’s heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, ”I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” ”No!” replied the 3rd wife. ”Life is so good over here! I’m going to remarry when you die!” The merchant’s heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, ”I always turned to you for help and you’ve always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?” ”I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!” replied the 2nd wife. ”At the very most, I can only send you to your grave.” The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : ”I’ll leave with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.” The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, ”I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !”

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it’ll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we’re alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it’s a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we’re on our deathbed to lament.

PUPPIES FOR SALE

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about Nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he Felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the Eyes of a little boy.

Mister,” he said, ”I want to buy one of your puppies.”

”Well,” said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, ”these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.”

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. ”I’ve got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?”

”Sure,” said the farmer.

And with that he let out a whistle,”Here,Dolly!” he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this One noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....

”I want that one,” the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, ”Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.”

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself To a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, ”You see sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need Someone who understands.”

The world is full of people who need someone who understands.