Can you help it?


That’s not the way but can’t help it…this is the refrain I am used to hearing. Before wondering who keeps sounding me this, let me clarify right away; this is what I tell myself umpteen times! Agreed everyone knows what fair and what’s not but we have to often ‘adjust’ a bit.
Every time when I find it a bit difficult to follow a fixed set of principles, I let go. Probably, that’s the best thing I can do. I was unmindful of it till yesterday. I was supposed to catch up with a professional at a coffee house and I was getting late. And here I was trying to find a parking slot. Finally I could locate a relatively empty space, the best possible for my bike.
As I went near, I saw a cycle parked in between two-wheelers. I moved the cycle to make room for my bike. When I relocated the cycle to a nearby place, I observed its stand was too weak to make it stand!
On seeing the person I was supposed to meet, I left the cycle to its fate. Somehow I wasn’t able to focus during the meeting. What happened to the cycle? I wondered. What I had done was unfair, I thought. I had no business to move the bicycle to accommodate my bike. I am sure it didn’t belong to a rich person as it was in shambles. What would the poor person think looking at his cycle biting the dust?  That’s not the way but can’t help it … I told myself again but couldn’t get away with the statement this time around.
I was thinking of my reactions whenever I saw anyone sitting on by parked bike.  I had also caught many unawares and put my mind bare to their ‘lack of manners’.
Meeting finished, I rushed to the parking slot. The cycle was still lying on the ground. When I was lifting it, a poor man came running. “Madam, Aap mat uthao...” It was the owner. Before I could speak, he said,  ‘‘Sorry. I was forced to prop the cycle up against other vehicles, as the stand was broken.’’ This humbly dressed man was okay with what had happened to his cycle. Still, nothing justified mine moving it.
It happens. You know what you are doing is not right but you can’t help, really. Expecting us to be lawful always is like saying if frogs had wheels, they wouldn't bump their butts! Be cool, when you can’t help it, you really can’t!!
-KanChan

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