Tuesday, February 2, 2016

When life gives you lemons


“I have been trying to make them understand about this code, but they are not getting it” I was frustrated, talking to myself.
In a flash, a light appeared from a corner of the room and a heavy voice said, “This will tell you” and a small round yellow color ball type thing rolled towards me and stopped right at my feet.
Any guesses of what it was?
“What do you mean?”
“Follow me and you will see.”
The light became brighter, so bright that I couldn’t see anything and *woosh* in split seconds, I saw a man wearing dhoti-kurta, shouting, “Lemons! Lemons! Lemons for free…” in the middle of the road.
“Where am I?” I wondered, and why am I here and who is he? My curiosity made me stick to the man, walk step by step with him; I was destined to learn a lesson that day.
The lemon seller’s cart had a peculiar slogan, “Take as many lemons as you want, after you tell me what you would do with them”.

#1
The first person came by, saw the slogan and said, “Give me 5, I’ll make a lemonade!”
Ah! Exactly what I would have done, and I guess everyone else too! When life give you lemon, you make a lemonade. Isn’t it?
Before this thought could get out of my head.

#2
There came the second person,
“In life I have always wanted this to happen. Always!” he continued soberly.
“You know why? Because this is the way life is… the nature of each human.” he continued with his philosophy and then turned to the lemon seller and said “Lemons! I want two and I’ll Make orange juice and leave the other’s wondering how the hell I did that! That will be epic! Isn’t it?”
Uh! Did I just hear that? Orange juice out of lemons? Alright! That is something really interesting. I don’t know what to call that guy. A philosopher maybe. My eagerness was now growing to see who else was in store.

#3
When the third person saw these lemons for free, he jumped out of joy! I wondered if he saw diamonds there.
“Lemons for free! Give me 20, Ill keep them because hey, Free Lemons!”
I could instantly relate them to people who we meet every day in office, browsing through various websites, like they are reading a newspaper, looking at every minute detail of what is going on the screen and then comes that eureka moment – “I got a coupon for cashback on Paytm!”. It did not stop there.

#4
And then I saw somebody in red pants moving towards the lemon seller.
“Can I get 1 lemon?” She took it, bit it. Made a funny face. Clicked a selfie and left.
The crazy creatures! I wondered. The kind, who live life to the fullest, and find happiness in all the small things that they do.  I never imagined that lemons could mean so much in life.
I was occupied with my own thoughts, when another person came near the lemon seller.

#5
“Hey! I want 4 lemons!” and he started searching his bag. Finding nothing fruitful there, he turned to the lemon seller and said, “Do you have tequila and salt too?”, he added.
That is where I wondered, if the demand was for a party or a sober on-the-table discussion.
Do you realize how small my speech would have become if everyone would asked for lemons to make lemonade? Or just oranges?
And how small our lives would have become if everyone thought alike? I was feeling happy, thinking about all those people, who make life different; who create experiences; who live differently. It’s necessary. Isn’t it? I thought I have seen all kind of people in life; when this man with big round spectacles on his face comes up to the lemon seller.

#6
“Can you give me 6 lemons? I have a project to construct a crude electrochemical battery.”
Electro what? With lemons? I was still confused, trying to figure out the electro stuff when the lights flashed straight on my eyes again. I went blank for a few seconds.

I was in the same room, from where it all started. The voice became loud and said “Now you see! Why everybody is important and why everybody has their own value? Remember one thing, everybody is unique” and the voice phased out.
I stood up, with my hands in my pocket; only to realize, I have 2 lemons in my pocket too.
I wondered, what I would do with them!

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