BRICKS ARE LIGHTER THAN AIR

[Guest guest]

BRICKS ARE LIGHTER THAN HEART

Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased, if you give water to the thirsty,

bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your verandah to strangers for

resting. (Sri Sai Satcharitra Chapter XVIII & XIX)

About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was

travelling down a Chicago neighbourhood street. He was going a bit too fast in

his sleek, black, 12-cylinder jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was

watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he

thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and – WHUMP! – It

smashed into the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH.... !!! Brakes slammed!

Gears ground into reverse, and tyres madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot

from where the brick had been thrown.

Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked

car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what

the hell are you doing?" building up a head of steam, he went on. "That’s my new

Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw

it?"

"Please, mister, please ... I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" pleaded

the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were

dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my

brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his

wheelchair and I can’t lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive,

"Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s

too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly

swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into

wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts,

checking to see that everything was going to be ok. He then watched the younger

brother push him down the sidewalk towards their home.

It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder jaguar XKE – a

long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his jaguar. He kept the

dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a

brick at him to get his attention.

Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming towards you.

(Source: East and West Series, Aug 2002)

 

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