A day well spent

It had been the first week of me joining a new organization. I was looking forward to the CSR initiatives carried out by the organization. I had volunteered for a workshop on recycling and reuse of paper to be carried out at St.Joseph’s High School in Colaba on Friday afternoon, in collaboration with Sanskaar India Foundation, an NGO engaged in environmental initiatives. We started the day off at 12’o clock in the afternoon. Little did we realize that the driver’s lethargy would make us late by almost an hour. The school is located in Colaba ahead of the Navy establishment. Of all the years lived in this enchanting city, I had never ventured in the midst of Colaba to this extent. We arrived at the school at around 2’o clock. After sincerely apologizing for the delay and hitting out at lunch, the workshop started.

The students of class X were divided in six groups of around twelve each with five volunteers assigned per group. All groups were to be known by a name. Mumbai Indians, the Pandavas, 3 idiots,etc were the names coined by the kids. Every group was to participate in making and painting maximum number of bags. And then the excitement began. We were given home-made glue made of maida and water. All volunteers participating were no less than the kids in amount to their excitement and enthusiasm. I made around four paper bags in less than five minutes. The point to make is all of the so called matured and grown up people are sometimes childish in their outlook and behavior. The fact is the quest of materialism has taken a toll on our innocence. Our group stood 3^rd in making the maximum number of bags, lost out by close margins.

Thereafter, we were shown the method of recycling paper to be carried out at home. Little did I know that recycled hand-made paper is equally beautiful. Our next task was to paint the bags already made. The lovely kids started their work using every kind of imagination and beautiful hues, flowers, craft paper. We volunteers, I must admit carried out little cheating by coloring the bags for the kids. One of the volunteers had painted a bag with such amazing style, it must have been the best one, I guess.

And the prizes were announced for the best student per group with all of us posing for photographs. Some of the excited kids had forgotten to inform their parents about their late-sitting at school. To their surprise, a holiday was declared by the teacher for Monday. We boarded the bus and reached office, thus leaving the school with smiles on our faces.

I had experienced bliss in those hours spent at school. My drawing and craft skills came to the fore in such a short span of time. I had lived those moments with kids to the maximum. For a moment we had forgotten our designations, status, our perception of our own world and had lived with the fun element present as normal human beings. Those hours spent at the school had bought smiles to our faces and memories to be cherished.

On my way back to office, I was pondering about the life we live in searching for happy moments. Happiness is within each of us, if we look beyond what we search. A quote given by Saint Kabir ran through my mind. “Sai itna dije, jaamein kutumb samaye. Main bhi bhukha na rahu, sadhu na bhukha jaye”. I get happiness in staying happy, content with what I got in those hours. It was a wonderful day spent, reliving my zest and joy for life.