Mollycoddled Beyond Repair

“God's pampered people whom, debauched with ease," No king could govern, nor no God could please.” ~ John Dryden 

After ample pondering, I have begun to accept the fact that we Indians, if not all, definitely most are feather-bedded (pampered) extensively. You might want to debate, but there is an ounce of truth in it.

Sometimes it makes me wonder—how Indians are dependent on domestic help, that when a day goes by without them showing up, our world comes to a standstill, don't it? Probably, 'cause we are too lazy, or too ignorant of our very own mind, body, and soul. Alas! It's a shame! But then, "ignorance is bliss," or is it?

Why move a finger when there is somebody else to do just that at ones beck and call! Like us, our needs and wants have evolved as well. And my! The kind of needs and wants that can never suffice; enough to throw people off-guard! 

From what I've heard, life abroad thrives on being self-dependent—one gotta chase after one's own demands. We don't go running to our parents and loved ones with, "I want this; I need that; boo-hoo!" And the want/needs feels that much worthier when we earn it ourselves. I'm thinking this applies to domestic help too. Better still if one does not keep one, unless of course old age sets in and lands us bedridden. As long our limbs move, we need to find after ourselves. Like almost everything, it finally is all about perspective. 

With most domestic help, one needs to tag along after them, watching them like a hawk; some of them, whether one likes it or not, are kleptomaniacs. Mind you, I said "some." It's true that we have some saints among them too, and it's good to have them around to help with household chores. There are the few who take it like a task that they need to complete anyway they can and scoot. The result, a shoddy job with several disastrous outcomes. Some are decent enough to inform in advance about their absence; others just take us for a ride! The worst thing of all: they know pretty well that even though we rant and rave, we are going to stay them, simply 'cause we'd rather have a somebody "cleaning" our house, than ourselves. Weird, eh? The house is ours, we live in it; but we outsource domestic help.

Perhaps if from the beginning of time it was instilled in us to fend for ourselves—be it household chores, earning a livelihood like how it is abroad, things we most often take for granted. Life is beautiful; it's for us to ensure that it stays that way and a lot of it means we take to our responsibilities as a bird with feathers takes to flight.