Modified on:
The narrative explores the life of an ordinary person, highlighting their daily struggles and resilience amid socio-economic challenges. It paints a vivid picture of early morning reflections, gratitude for existence, and the harsh realities of striving for survival, marked by hopes and disappointments. Through personal anecdotes and historical references, the text connects the individual’s experiences to broader societal issues, illustrating the pivotal role ordinary people play in shaping society and sparking revolutions against oppression. Ultimately, it advocates for a recognition of the complexities within human nature, acknowledging the blend of virtues and flaws that characterise ordinary lives.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The narrative centers on the struggles and resilience of common individuals facing socio-economic challenges.
- It highlights daily routines, early morning reflections, and gratitude for life amidst harsh realities.
- Common people play a pivotal role in society, often instigating revolutions against oppression through their collective voice.
- The article connects personal stories with historical movements like the French and Bolshevik revolutions, emphasising the power of the common person.
- Ultimately, it notes that human nature encompasses a blend of virtues and flaws, acknowledging the complexity of ordinary lives.
Early morning
Waking up early in the morning and sitting on the bed, he brooded for some time without actually having a thought. The deep darkness was becoming lighter. A few moments later, he got up from the bed and went up to the open terrace. The terrace gave him a feeling of openness.
The dark sky was embellished with a few glittering stars. Birds had started chirping. He looked at the sky, which was gradually fading eastward, and a pink hue began spreading. A flock of herons was flying in their characteristic “V” shape formation, and a kite was whirling around, flying at a low height. The breeze was pleasantly cold and soul-soothing.
Thanksgiving
Slowly, he started circumambulating around the terrace. Thoughts were gushing, but his mind was not agitated. He raised his head and, looking at the horizon, his hands spontaneously folded. Looking at the invisible, he thanked the Almighty for giving him one more morning to see the beauty of Nature and the strength to fight the adversities.
A lapwing flew above him, yelling in its characteristic call tri…ti…hut, tri…ti…hut; as if supplementing it, a dove was cooing nearby, perching on a bough. Soon darkness vanished, and the sky became bright. The sun was about to come up. The large crimson heliacal ball emerging from the horizon looked stunningly beautiful.
Yearning of a common person
He earned his house and got it constructed with whatever he saved by cutting his daily expenditures and managing them. A house was essential. As the instalments of the house were a great drain on him, he faced a lot of difficulties in meeting the ends. Borrowing was not easy at that time. He faced harrowing and insulting conditions while trying to get a loan from banks and financial institutions.
The area was in its early stage of development and sparsely populated when he shifted here. Except for a few bona fide residents, it was not properly habituated. Dirty and dangerously weak vacant structures resembling dilapidated cell-like cement buildings were occupied by illegal migrants engaged in rag picking. The run-down buildings and empty parcel of land created a haunting atmosphere. Every night, clouds of bats would emerge and fly around the area. Occasional hooting of an owl was also heard.
Life struggle
This is the story of a common person who struggles for his survival. Every morning he rises with hope, goes to work, earn his bread and try to give best to his family and children. Every day for them is a day of war against odds. They struggle, face defeat, and again rise up to work even harder, hoping for the best, often appearing like a Panglossian. (Psychology Today)
He remembers his childhood days when he used to wait for hours in a queue to get a few litres of kerosene oil or stood for hours in government fair-price shops. He knew nothing about childhood days and their luxury. Since the time he was capable of registering things and responding, he found himself standing in a queue for petty things.
There are millions who are like him. It is a common story of everyone who is underprivileged and ordained to struggle for survival. A crowd of people who crush their wishes to fulfil the dreams of their children. They strive to keep their false reputation intact. The notion of belonging to a respected family adds a burden, and they used to lug it for life.
Common persons are seen everywhere
Such people are seen everywhere: at railway stations struggling to find a seat in a compartment, in a bus wading through the crowd to get a place to stand, in government offices, cinema halls, courtrooms, anywhere. People and a motley crowd are vying for betterment, pushing and pulling each other. It’s like a stampede where an unpredictable crowd want to surpass everything in a competition to get a thing first, lest it be too late.
Life struggle: Hardworking
It is the category of people who dream small and work hard. They feel disappointed and frustrated when, despite hard work, they couldn’t get through. The disappointment cascades down to family and children. Imagine an office scenario. An employee was verbally ill-treated by his boss for not presenting the required report in time and was humiliated. His boss was frustrated because he had to show that report in the weekly meeting, failing which he would be deprived of a particular assignment he was vying for and had been lobbying for a long time. It is a chain reaction, but the noticeable thing is that while a simple employee couldn’t hand over the report because of his constraints, his boss was furious about his selfish motive.
Small aspirations
The feelings and aspirations of a commoner are not big, but the paucity of resources is big and hard to meet. Jealousy, petty animosity and individual mendacity are the instinctive behaviours of human beings, but their scale in a common person is much smaller in comparison to a resourceful and cash-rich person.
Backbone of society
A common person is the backbone of society, a watchdog of social norms and the bedrock of civilisation. His contribution is great in shaping society, and his collective voice can shake the ruling class to their roots. History testifies to the power and effect of the common man.
French revolution
The French Revolution in 1789 was a momentous event. The French Revolution brought social and political agitation in France, causing a radical change. It was against social disparity and unequal wealth and power distribution. A handful of elites had utmost power and wealth, while the three-fourths majority was reeling under distressed conditions.
Bolshevik revolution
In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution ended the rule of the Czar. The majority of suppressed Russian people had pathetic lives. Great Russian thinkers and writers described it vividly in their work. The simmering dissatisfaction and unrest culminated in a revolution led by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ‘Lenin’, who mutatis mutandis followed the theory of Karl Marx.
Common persons in freedom struggle
India struggled a lot to remove the yoke of slavery imposed by the British. The common people, led by a group of political thinkers and activists, rose against the mighty British Empire – the Empire on which the sun never set. Having small desires and aspirations, the habit of being content with what they have, and their insignificant appearance make a common person. One can boast of possessing the best possible qualities like benevolence, compassion and generosity, but it would not be a perfect definition of a person. A person tends to evaluate oneself in a rather partial way, considering everything best in the self. A dispassionate evaluation and honest introspection reveal the real self.
Blend of good and bad
Human beings are a blend of good and bad emotions. They imagine God as a perfect and flawless entity who is omnipresent and the epitome of best qualities. He is Absolute – the Supreme Soul, but a human being can’t be. Even God, incarnated in human form, possesses good and bad qualities. He suffers, bears pain, shares moments of joy and celebrates victory or success. Our wise primogenitors have rightly said that there is a balance of right and wrong, virtue and vice. It is human. Those who try to portray themselves as an ideal one live in a fool’s paradise. It is not they who perceive, but others who watch them and make an image of them. The general perception is dependent on others’ observation.
Introspection
A garrulous talk about qualities and putting oneself on a high pedestal can satiate an egotistic mindset but is far from reality. A habitual liar can never be an ideal for society. One can boast about one’s honesty, but at the end of the day, it is a reality-based general perception that matters. To err is human, but to stick stubbornly to a silly thing is foolishness. Having a blend of good and bad is better for a person and society.
Persons can describe themselves in a word as a common person.
Further reads:
-END-
Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
Leave a Reply