MONDAY MUSINGS EPISODE 241

25th December 2023

WISHING ALL THE READERS MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

This week’s Monday musings is special in two ways. One, is a real-life vindication here, right next door, of our discussion few weeks back – about menial attitudes. The other, is where I am posting this from, - yes, from a hospital bed helped my wife, recuperating from a major surgery.

Let us go to the vindication first. Some of you may have thought, that the last MONDAY MUSINGS YouTube channel episode, ‘There is no menial work, only menial attitudes’ very idealistic or theoretical. But I came across such a person right at my bedside during my hospital bedside.

‘You may have heard of the profession ‘Pre operative skin care technician’, right? If some of you ask me ‘preoperative… what?’ Here is the answer. He is the person who ‘prepares’ you before surgery. Yes, you are right. Trained barber who plays an important role in a surgery.

I met Balasubramanian, a preoper… OK. OK. Let me make it POST for short. While I was getting ‘prepared’ for this major surgery in a confused and resigned state,, I could hear him muttering a few verses in chaste tamil while still focussed on his job. Curious, I asked him about it, and there… I found an inspiration. Balasubramaniam was born in a low-income family and wanted to study well. His family conditions led him into this profession early in his life and he took it up as a duty. Soon he realised that if he has to do this all his life, he might as well do it in the best way possible. So he started serving those with special needs. Old, infirm and the ill. Then he entered hospital service. So barber Balasubramanian becomes Preoperative.. ok ok. POST Balasubramaniam. He seeks permission to prepare for skin care while reciting religious verses. His perfection in both not compromised. He ‘prepares’, cleans essential parts, leaves the place clean, asks for comfort of the patients, rounds it up with getting hot water ready for bath. What’s more, he speaks around six languages. He is so perfect in his job that many of his patients seek his services for post operative care.

He, in the course of his duty, came across Tamil scriptures like Devaram, Thiruvasakam, Thirumandiram, and drawn towards them, started learning them from a Guru. Now he is well versed with all this, and is now part of a group who go and recite these scriptures wherever they are asked to. All along with his profession of post operative skincare. He happily, but humbly states that at least 6 to 7 times a month, he has Scripture recitals, done with all purifications and austerity. He schedules his duties accordingly.

Balasubramanian has been there, seen, and done many things in his career. Many of his stories are inspiring. Be it that of wading through waist high waters during michange flood that devastated Chennai to recite scriptures to a Siva devotee who had expired inside a hours cutoff by flood waters, or grooming an old man whose face was full of eruptions, that no one was willing to attend to. He is also proud that he visited Connemara library, to research on suitable lullabys, and learnt them to sing for his sons. He learnt stories from his grandmother and recites them to them at bed time.

Combining Spiritual recital and haircare and treating them both as different forms of duty to humankind and GOD, makes Balasubramanian stand out among his peers in his line of work and his hospital. Let us support his aspiration to give his children the education he could not have.

Not only did Balasubramanian reinforced some more confidence in me during the testing time,  but gave me this week’s. ‘Inspiration can be found anywhere, in anyone, at any time. One must just be ready to acknowledge them.’ I found inspiration from an attendantwhen getting prepared for a painful surgery. Those of you who want to contact Balasubramanian for his services or to support him, please contact 7397220612.

Let me repeat the Bhagavad Gita sloka publihsed two weeks back and in the MONDAY MUSINGS YouTube episode

#CommitmentToWork

स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरत: संसिद्धिं लभते नर स्वकर्मनिरत: सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु ॥ Bhagavad Gita 18.45 ॥

sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṇu

Translation – Every man attains perfection and success by devoting to prescribed duty. Listen to me to know how perfection can be attained.

There are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes. – William J. Brennan, Jr.

Now for the second reason. Yes. I am writing this edition of Monday Musings from my hospital bed supported by my wife in preparing and posting this episode because I want to commit to the consistency I maintained,. while recovering from a major surgery. And I found my next muse from my medical travails. How I learned to value life and celebrate my pains and aches is a story for another week. Let us understand what we miss while we live, from the moments when we are close to missing life itself. Look forward to this post shortly.

Started penning a poetry to commemorate and celebrate the recovery and realization from the pains in ICU: 

Lying flat and staring at a space

That knows neither night nor day

Rain or shine, sun or breeze

May exist, but not within these walls.

Walls that echo the constant hum

Of meters and monitors, and streaking green lines.

Unspoken words and purposeful strides

The battle to reshape human lives they underline.

In this steel, sterile planet, I learn

I may have just escaped my turn.

I have more to share and the poetry will be complete in the next episode.

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Conceived, compiled and posted by Jaganathan T (www.authorjaganathan.com) as a weekly motivational and inspirational newsletter so that the readers can start their work week in a positive note. 

My sincere thanks to my wife Bhooma Veeravalli who not only helped me to endure and emerge but also helped me to complete and post this episode of MONDAY MUSINGS.

Watch MONDAY MUSINGS YouTube video episode with the same learning - No menial jobs, only menial attitudes and share your feedback

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