Deep Thoughts: We are debtors
Swords, sharpened. Early as a bird, ready to move, no one can harm them, no one could break their will, who is that enemy that dares to prevent them from reaching home? Who?
Here he comes, the TRAFFIC DRAGON. But they are ready to fight today, they push forward, baring their fangs, waving their swords and passing the one-way path. Victory is near, for real who dares challenge them today.
Noooooooo, the path gives way, they are falling, falling, trapped! The grip of its claw surrounds them with no room to breath, its poisonous fumes from its truck-sized nostrils force its way down throats. The clock is ticking, 1, 2, 3, … Teeth gritting helplessly, they throw a futile curse at the traffic dragon to no avail.
In the midst of these people is little me, observing the people as they fight to go home, trying to ignore the present battle and in my musings, a thought suddenly comes to my mind and I voice it out:
What value have I added to the world today?
My brother throws an answer back.
What value has the world added to me today?
I was speechless for a moment because I had never thought of his answer, and my first thought was to think nothing, but then I had to think deep. Really, who is the world? The answer… Everything! Everything in it. That opened my eyes, every second, the world is adding value, the air, the trees, the sky, water, food, technology, a person, a dog, a smile, even ants.
Hence from when we are born, we become debtors to the world and by adding value, we reduce our debts.
For example, if you are born with a silver spoon and you do not add value, either by increasing the wealth of a family, you become a major debtor. And even if you were born with a broken plastic spoon or no spoon at all, of course, we can say you assume you owe the world nothing due to every suffering you face, the world owes you which balances out your debt, but once you become comfortable or rich, you automatically start owing.
Thus my conclusion; in the little span of life that each human is given, we become debtors to the world and the only way to live free is to find ways to add value through inventing, business, teaching, helping, planting, and watering… name it. Because for such debts, payday always comes which drags one into the dark burning pit of the question “What on earth am I here for?”
Back from my reverie, furiously writing down my thoughts for this week’s article, I can say I gathered enough strength to be free from the traffic dragon 7 hours later. Yes, 7 hours stuck in traffic but it was not a wasted time as this battle gave me ample time to add value this week. I don’t want to owe the world anything by the time I die so I am going to use every opportunity to pay back. Hope you will too.
Let’s keep adding value till we meet again next week… deep calleth unto deep