One > Zero
The day after Diwali, I was gorging on some boondi laddoos after dinner. I am sure everyone knows that these delicacies are fragile and disintegrate upon the first bite. I had a small plate to catch any little pieces that may not make it into my mouth at the first attempt.
Needless to say, a few little boondi pieces fell onto the plate, and to my delight, even after finishing the laddoo, I was left with a few remnants. As is my modus operandi, I picked up every single boondi, and the plate was clean. Not a morsel left!
It’s funny how eating/food triggers thoughts. I remembered an experience I had a few months ago.
I had read a message posted about a young man with a cough and fever, overly concerned about himself being Covid-positive and about the ramifications of being infected. How will he procure medication if he was alone at home? Would he require hospitalization? Would an ICU bed be available if he needed it?
Via my volunteer efforts at StepOne, I called him to understand a little bit more about his symptoms. After speaking with him, it was evident that he was more anxious than unwell. Actually, petrified about getting tested. It took me a few minutes to alleviate his anxiety, guide him about self-monitoring, after which he was agreeable to getting tested. I advised him where he could get that done. At the end of the brief conversation, I could easily pick up on the dissipation of his anxiety.
“Perhaps we all desire to be a laddoo, but you need that first boondi to start to make a laddoo.”
2 days later, he sent me a message letting me know that he was feeling much better, and his test had come back negative.
As I picked up the last few pieces of boondi last night, I thought about that experience, and I thought about how I had the good fortune of being a small boondi. And it led me to believe further, to overcome this pandemic, we need the collective efforts of all small boondi pieces to make the full laddoo.
There are so many clichés about how small things add up. And I was able to appreciate why they have emerged.
I remembered a quote I had read many years ago by a finance wizard about compound interest:”It’s not the big things that add up in the end; it’s the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary.”
Being a part of StepOne has shown this to me and so many others. Join us, and with each of us small boondis, the laddoo has no choice but to emerge.
I am a grateful StepOne’r.
About the Author
Es Cee In his own words: "I am a bit of a gypsy, and I love meandering. During a given day, when I am not involved with StepOne efforts, I keep myself engaged in rehabilitation and adoption of stray animals in Mumbai, collaborate on some other projects which are focused on assisting those that have been economically impacted by the pandemic, particularly for their nutritional needs. Oh, And I have started to learn to play the piano. Someday, I hope to be a taxi driver. After the pandemic though. :-)"
Responses