No Goosebumps. No Adrenaline

Superheroes and martyrs, people who save lives and those that survive extreme trauma, warriors and freedom fighters…

...legends of these fill volumes of books. 

And the heart, undoubtedly fills with pride and respect for our bravehearts, those who have been larger than life, those whose sacrifice and contributions simply cannot be measured. The undying gratitude for whom brings goosebumps and tears. 

But today let's also think of the others. 

Those who we see but don't notice. 

Those who simply blend into the background. 

Have you ever noticed...

That woman working on a dusty construction site carrying a pile of bricks on her head, either pregnant or with a young child and his invariably runny nose, perched at her hip?

Or the man pulling a heavy cart on a busy street, sweat dripping from his forehead onto his vest infested with holes, doing his best just to provide the basics for his family. 

Or the one who has put his dreams on hold...of travelling, or watching a movie in the middle of the day, or following his passion for art, theatre or debate, so he can wear boring shirts and live a colourless life, reporting to work in someone else's office...just so he can take a steady, dependable paycheck home, to meet the never ending needs of the Great Indian Joint Family. 

Or the brief eye contact and soft hesitant smile a little school going child gives a classmate right after he’s been pulled up and yelled at by their teacher, just so that child feels less alone and less embarrassed. 

Or the doctor who could so easily let that late late night call go unanswered while in the middle of a family dinner, but doesn’t.

Our police, our delivery personnel, our sweepers and security guards who work through rain and sun. 

Or then, our soldiers at the snow fed borders, not currently fighting an enemy in war, but baring the severe onslaught of nature, in many ways far worse, because nature can be relentless in winter. 

And their families who sacrifice their presence at festivals big and small and miss them something fierce...all for the protection of whom? 

Us?! People they don't even know?

Or a mother burning with fever who pushes herself out of bed so her children don't miss school, because if she doesn't wake them up, no one else will. 

To me...that's bravery. This quiet kind. 

The awe-inspiring kind. The grossly underestimated kind. 

Sure, once-in-a-lifetime bravery that's fuelled by adrenaline when your body is in fight-or-flight mode is indeed glorious!

But this mundane one...the one that has no great force behind it, except a silent love for someone, far greater than the love for your own needs, desires, fears, likes and comforts.

This garden variety bravery, the one that doesn't even acknowledge its own strength because no one has written books and ballads on it, is a real marvelous sight to behold!

Not things, not achievements, not your social standing or who you know, and definitely not your money....It's this simple everyday bravery of simple everyday people, that never fails to intimidate me, inspire me, and has my forever respect. 

Many would say, 

‘it's just life,

it's no big deal, 

everyone has to do it, 

fulfill their responsibilities.’

But I still feel it deserves to be given the credit it's due. 

So here's my shout-out to all these tenacious ones! 

I see you, and salute your quiet magic. 

Yours is the sacrifice and contribution that keeps our country growing strong and marching on. 

Yours is the strength that may not save lives, but makes them. 

Yours is the force that keeps the world going round on every single routine, monotonous, uneventful day. 

For this is the bravery of the Sun!

To simmer and burn yourself, 

only to sustain the ones you love.