Only when I laugh.....

Mr. Rearden," said Francisco, his voice solemnly calm, "if you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the world on his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, blood running down his chest, his knees buckling, his arms trembling but still trying to hold the world aloft with the last of this strength, and the greater his effort the heavier the world bore down on his shoulders – what would you tell him to do?"
"I … don't know. What … could he do? What would you tell him?"
"To shrug."

These lines brought a new dimension in my thoughts when I first read it…. I started noticing the people around me….. Almost everyone had some strength and capability, which was worth admiring … and how instead of admiring them.. most of us would either try to use them and worse than that.. misuse them…. And what was even most hard to digest was… IF Atlas ever showed signs of shrugging… we would blame him for not living up to the responsibility which was given to him….. WOW…

EVERYONE in this world is blessed…. And yes, accepted… not equally….maybe that’s we have to try and make the world a better place for each other…

But to what extent ?

I have listened and also seen.. how acts of kindness have moved and changed lives… Especially, in times of difficulties, where one is left with painful choices… a understanding heart helps them to look beyond their sorrow .. and gain strength to try and make things work for them…

So there are a few intelligent people.. who have a strength of character.. who have a certain quality in them… which makes them smart enough to work better than you .. and maybe strong enough to carry your burden on their shoulders… But how much do you make them carry….

They have been kind to understand our pain or incapability and help us out…. But don’t we have the obligation to learn from them on how to approach the situation and then take off our issues from their back….and then again, lets say.. we take that problem out, but we are so unlucky that we always happen to get into some problem or other ….so we put it on their shoulders…. Don’t we see that they need some rest???? Atleast for sometime… Or is it because we believe they are stronger than us .. and perhaps assume that they just have to hold on.. no matter what.. and if they shrug.. then we condemn them for their lack of strength.. But what about all the times they made life easier for us…. They could have jus walked away, like most of us do… do they have to be there for us…. all the time?

After reading this book… I started thinking … What if one day… Atlas decides to shrug…. I feel I would be mad at him... and this is how I think our conversation would go..


Me : Hey Atlas.. aren’t we forgetting something…
Atlas : Oh really?
Me.. : Well.. Yeah.. you see… You were supposed to be holding the earth .. But you shrugged.. You had been given this honour and you cant jus leave like this.
Atlas : Oh… ok…Thanks, But I don’t want this honour anymore…
Me : WHAT?? You gotta be kidding me…
Atlas : I am tired…. Its getting too much for me
Me : Now come on.. don’t act like a kid… You are ATLAS… you can do anything .. you are the mightiest … you had been the chosen one to hold this earth… you don’t know how significant you are..
Atlas : Am i? Show me?
Me : Huh… What?
Atlas : You said I was significant.. well… make me feel significant…
ME : Ahem.. aaaa.. I meant to say.. that as long as you are holding the earth, you are significant.. that IS your significance….
Atlas : Hmmm.. you mean to say, if I do not hold the earth.. I am incapable of anything else… and ONLY if I held the earth.. i am significant????
Me : Hey , you are getting it all wrong… You don’t understand how much we admire you… You can hold the whole earth...most of us cant do that… … its difficult you see…
Altas : Ask me about that..
Me : You are witty…
Altas : and tired too…
Me : Oh Atlas.. come on.. whats the big problem.. you were holding the earth for such a long time… you know you can do it… so why don’t you continue doing it..
Atlas : Why should i?
ME : For the love of mankind …
Atlas : Aha…. So I gotta hold the earth because I love the makind… Hmm.. so what do I get in return…
Me : In return??? Well, as long as you hold it.. you are loved back too… the more you stronger you make yourself and continue to hold it.. the more you are loved…
Atlas : But the burden seems to get heavier.. and love I get back doesn’t seem to be in proportion … and my back is aching.. I wanna shrug..
Me : What do you mean by saying that the love is not in proportion.. Listen, buddy.. love is not measurable.. so stop comparing it with the burden..
Atlas : I wasn’t the one who started that comparison...
Me : Ok fine.. Answer this.. What would you do, if you stop holding the earth
Atlas : Cant I do something else and have a life?
Me : Ahem…Well.. But then who will hold the world.. Don’t you feel sorry for letting down all those who look up and respect you for being so strong all the time…
Atlas : Am I the one who is supposed to feel sorry? I have been holding YOUR
burden all this while.. and without letting you know, that it gets painful sometimes… But you don’t seem to be bothered about that.. Jus because I have held it for so long.. doesn’t mean you keep pushing more on me… Why am I the one who should be strong all the time.. Why don’t you hold it for a change?
Me :Me? I cant.. well, you know, I am not as strong as you… I wont be able to hold it…
Atlas : Have you ever tried it.. ?
Me : No.. but I know I cant..
Altas : Its jus a matter of technique.. Every problem has a solution.. You need to try a different angle.. Why don’t you try carrying it… And if you feel uncomfortable.. then change the way you hold it.. try different postures… One of them will click and then you can hold it easily..
Me : Well, I dunno.. I have never done it.. and I feel you are better at it.. I might screw it up and everyone will blame me for it....
Atlas : Anyway, you are gonna be in some pain
Me : What do you mean?
Altas : Look at my situation… All this while.. I have been holding your earth… Not complaining.. Not giving any excuse… It might have been difficult for me too.. even then i did not let go.. because I felt that you needed me to hold it .. But I notice that as much as I am willing to hold it.. you continue to increase my
burden.. Since I do not complain.. you think I will continue taking it.. And now
when I feel I don’t want to hold it anymore.. You accuse me for letting you down
If I continue to hold it.. I will be in pain.. and if don’t.. your blame will anyways hurt me…
Me : I do not know what to say.. I jus thought that you were strong to hold the world for an eternity..
Atlas : I am..
Me : Then?
Atlas : I jus don’t feel its worth holding anymore.. You just kept misusing my capabilities to compensate your inabilities.. And the more i help you out.. the more you lazier you become ..
Me : Alright,, alright… So…… you want me to carry it for sometime.. ?
Atlas : Yes.. That would be nice..
Me : And… when I get tired.. will you hold it back from me…
Atlas : May be..
Me : Hey…. that’s not fair… I am willing to carry since you are tired… why cant you do the same..
Atlas : Tell me something… Why do you want to carry it?
Me : Because you seem to be tired
Atlas : Really!!! Or is it because.. your world would collapse if someone doesnt hold it….
Me : Ahem.. yeah, that too..
Atlas : So if I say.. carry it and I don’t intend to hold it again …
Me : That sounds terrible..How do you expect me to carry it forever..
Atlas : Just giving you taste of your own medicine.. or rather your own thoughts… You wouldn’t carry the burden on your shoulder if it were forever …. Right?
Me : I guess so..
Atlas : So…. I am doing the right thing, aint i?
Me : But someone has to carry it…
Atlas : Let each one carry his own…
Me : That’s not possible .. We need someone else
Atlas : They should be able to handle some things by themselves… I understand that they need help… and it will be given…. but I don’t think they should suck out another person for anything and everything.. A person should never be taken for granted.. like I was..
Me : Hmm.. what you are asking us to do ?
Atlas : Let each one do what they can with his/her capabilites… Help out when they can… and learn how to do it.. and not add each others burden.. …
Me : Atlas, does it still hurt?
Altas : Does it still hurt ?.. That question reminds me of a story..
Me : Which one
Altas : About a man who had been run through with a large spear in his chest. When asked if it hurt,… Do you know what he replied…
ME : What?
Atlas : He said, “Only when I laugh…..”