Inspiration

I belong to a Bangalore e-group called 'HasiruUsiru' that actively works towards preserving Bangalore's natural heritage which include lakes, tanks, trees. I am a pretty passive member-but I am glad to keep informed about the onslaught of large development projects in the city and the heavy environmental price that we, as citizens, pay for this progress. I met Arun through one such mailing - his mail announced that he had tree saplings to give away to people that wanted them. I responded and then awaited the promised Jamun and Bel saplings that I could plant near home and farm.

The other day Arun came home bearing these saplings. He looked regular, spoke the normal middle class tongue, sat with us and shared a cup of tea. It is during the course of this conversation that I discovered something rare - a spark of real passion, commitment, and a willingness through small action to dream big dreams - infact, a spark enough to inspire a few jaded us. Arun said that he was sick of watching the trees being killed in the city - but there was no point just sitting around complaining, cursing - so he has decided to plant one tree for every day of the year and to this end, he gathers seeds, germinates them, nurtures them into sturdy saplings and then gives it away to anyone who has space to grow them. He also dreamt of a city, a world, which would be very different if each of us planted one tree for every day we lived.
Arun neither preached, nor bragged - he was just sharing a dream.

I was stunned. Here was a living inspiration that had come to my doorstep, bearing a gift of his dreams...and baby trees.

I am glad that my New Year begins thus.