Blind Mind

It was promised to be a promising evening as 15 promising students each from every promising Arts and Science College in Chennai were chosen to attend a promising lecture by none other than APJ Abdul Kalam (the then president of India) on a promising event (Ok! I’ll stop it!). Some satellite had been launched to connect four major Indian universities enabling them to video conference (and whatever) etc. It was also the 150th year of existence for Madras University so important people like Karunanidhi (Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu), P Chidambaram (then finance minister) came to attend the event. I was among the 15 chosen out of 2000 students from my college to attend the event (Ya I like to show-off, sometimes!). I have great admiration for APJ and it may have been an important lecture but it was very boring. My friends woke me up not because the Q&A session had started but because they wanted me to see the eyes of the guy who got up to ask a question and believe me, they were the funniest pair of eyes I had ever seen. I and my rascal friends couldn’t control laughing as we continuously made fun of his eyes. APJ was standing to his right and he was looking straight (at a girl maybe!). Anyway despite the distraction I did hear the question, it was “How this technological advancement would help the blind?” I can’t believe APJ picked this question because the answer is obvious, it won’t help the blind. I didn’t bother to hear APJ’s answer as I was busy laughing. The guy took his seat and I noticed two guys help him do it. I was perplexed and when I observed closely I came to know that the guy couldn’t see… A feeling of shame and remorse sank in and I wanted god to instantly evaporate me from earth. Later I realized how valuable APJ’s positive answer to his question would have meant for him. I can see it all and yet I couldn’t see it, that guy is not blind, I am.