Empathy: Three real stories

 

Glossary
Antipathy = I don’t like her/him.
Apathy = I have neither good feelings nor I will show feelings towards …say - slum dwellers!
Sympathy = Most have it. Some give alms while some share good words.

What is Empathy?

Empathy 1

Robert Tuttle is a pastor in a Oklahoma church. This incident is from his perspective.

Ashley and Susie were on the same bench in the class 7th std. It was winter and it was the last period of the class. Suddenly Ashley realized his pants were wet and there was urine on the ground. Susie felt the hem of her pants wet. Ashley was shy and frightened. ‘What if the teacher or other students notice?’ What a shame!

Susie got up at once.

“Teacher, that fish tank on the side table needs water...Shall I? "

"Please. Go" said the teacher.

As Susie entered with a jar of water she tripped over near Ashley's desk and all water fell on “Ashley!” Teacher shouted at Susie. “You klutz! Come here and kneel down! Ashley, go to your locker and change your dress"

All boys shouted at Susie, kneeling on the dais,

"Susie, klutzy… Susie, klutzy."

The class over and all went out.

Susie got up last, walked to the corridor. Half the way, Ashley came from behind the pillar where he was hiding.

"Susie, why did you do it? You tripped over purposely...why!?"

"Yes Ashley, I did it purposely. 4 years ago, do you remember?  We happened to be in the primary school in the Third Std and in another city. We were on the same bench. You sat beside me and that day I urinated in my pants. As urine wetted your pants, you suddenly got up. Whistling, you made fun of me!

"Susie susu...Susie susu " and all boys chorused with you!

I cried but you laughed like a winner.

I went home and wept.

Mom hugged me and said," Susie, let go...bless him…YOU will be a winner one day!"

Susie then extended her hand to shake hands with Ashley but Ashley pulled her towards him, hugged her and in tears whispered in her ears,

"Yes Susie, you ARE the winner."

Empathy of a different kind!

 

Empathy 2

Miraj junction. 12.30 pm.

The Train stopped and men got down for lunch. In that compartment, a fat lady opened her huge dabba and distributed the puris and baaji to her children. A rickety girl watching from platform stretched her emaciated hand inside the window. "Ammaaa", she pleaded. "You dirty brat!  Spoiling the happy mood of MY children." The obese lady shut the shutters with a thud!

Meals over, she opened the shutter, threw the left overs on the platform. 'Our girl' saw the "meal" bundle, ran towards it and clutched it before others! Sitting on a nearby stone, she was about to put the delicious half eaten puree in her saliva filled mouth when she saw a rickety dog shaking its tail and sweetly looking at her!

"Oh oh you too are hungry? I understand." and shared a good portion with the dog..

You could see both licking their lips like the wiper of a car on a rainy day.

Empathy!

 

Empathy 3

Mumbai!

Western Railways. Morning time

The railways is 8th wonder of the world! So jam-packed yet still penetrative!

But that day in the lady's 1st class compartment were only a few 'elite'. At Mira Road station (I spent 13 yes in Mira Road!) a poor woman, stinking and wearing a tattered sari, entered!

The 'clean' ladies grumbled, cast aspersions at her, and with hankies on their dainty noses, huddled to another corner. After two stations, there entered another beggar boy and his small sister. The boy had worn his dad's shirt! They sang! Our macrons doled out some coins with a smile mixed with a pinch of snigger!

Our duo saw the old lady. The boy whispered something in his sister's ear. She at once nodded in agreement.

What happened next??

The beggar boy went to the stinking lady, kept his tiny hand in the middle of his dented aluminum plate and poured the entire half into the lap ("palov") of the now perfumed woman!

What a million dollar smile!

Have you expecting one? Try empathy!