Mind the trail you leave behind

A saying in Konkani roughly translates to “If you want to be noted, either build a temple in your street or litter and dirty it.’  It points towards two simple truths- the inevitable trails each person, action, interaction  wittingly or unwittingly leaves  behind  impacting many things and every body around and that they could be positive or negative. They could be events, interactions,actions, words, gestures or lives themselves , personal and emotional or general , but could be often disruptive or encouraging, constructive or damaging, soothing,and nostalgic.

Carbon foot prints to follow for centuries, bank deposits and assets for generations to come show our love, care and thoughtfulness but on the flip side are those who do not bother to retain their old bus tickets till the next dust bin or those who care two hoots about checking the public toilets and  leave them fit for the next user!

A Jasmine hiding in the foliage , the song of a bird perched on the tree or a mound of rotting garbage on your way , all  equally leave behind trails, but the sweetness and pleasantness of the first two linger and  resonate to gladden your hearts while the last haunts you for a while!

We are all familiar with the disruptive trails humanity’s unbridled exploitation of Mother Nature has landed our planet into.   
Floods, forest fires, droughts, earth quakes,  drying water sources, extreme weather conditions are all examples and results of the damaging trails on a physical level.  

The stories of great people, their services and contributions to humanity and society , the noble, worthy  lives they led are in themselves indelible marks for posterity. But ordinary people like you and me have to walk an extra mile to emit positivity .

In our day to day life, how many hearts, hopes,expectations and dreams  do we not break at the altar of our egos, negative feelings like jealousy, greed, one-upmanship or plain thoughtlessness? A reassuring smile to the diffident, a compliment to the struggling student, a gesture of thanks to the one who extended a helping hand in your adversity, Small gifts to show your appreciation , a pat on the black to the one with sagging spirits....
Take us a long way in  the right direction. Let all the trails that follow us be written in glitter.