Final Reflection
Looking back on my time in India a big term that sticks out in my mind is the Hindi term, Jugaad. It means to make a frugal innovation or solution to a problem. There are examples of Juqaad everywhere you look in India; shoelaces may be used in the place of string to hold a bag together, used plastic water bottles may be used to hold a chair in place, different engines will be used in place of the necessary engines for a vehicle, or old tarp political posters may be used in place of a ceiling in a hut or a window in a rickshaw. Surely these are no small problems though; a roof is necessary to live under, a rickshaw needs covering from rain, and a vehicle needs an engine. When I think about these problems I also think about the disposition of the people when dealing with these problems. They’re not overly angry, and they don’t feel like the world has it out for them. Life must go on. They have families to feed, and jobs to complete.
I think about how people in the U.S. react to these types of problems; maybe it’s a flat tire or problem with their car, or maybe their bag breaks. The reaction is often so angry; a small problem often seems like the end of the world. It could ruin a day or a week, but why? We have the means to get a new bag, or a new engine; we can replace the things that have been broken.
Maybe it’s just the very materialistic mindset that I’m so used to in America. I find myself always wanting more. My shoes aren’t nice enough, or my car isn’t fast enough. I think that the grass always seems to be greener on the other side, but when I get nicer shoes or a new shirt I’m never in turn entirely content and happy. Sure, I’m happy at first when I get something new, but slowly over time it just becomes something old. I find myself in the same place that I’ve always been; hoping for something nicer or newer.
This once again contrasts with what I saw from the people in India. They may not have the nicest things, certainly not as nice as the things I can afford in America – but there is a sense of pride in the belongings they do have. Rickshaw drivers would be washing their cars despite the inevitable dirtying they’d go through in the next drive through the city streets. Truck drivers decorate and paint their trucks in beautiful designs, and store owners sweep the fronts of their stores and keep a keen eye that their windows are cleaned. Now, I can’t speak to how much these people wish for things finer than what they have, but there is certainly a pride and sense of happiness with personal belongs that is far more prevalent than what I’ve seen in America.
It’s this type of perspective that I’m grateful to have gained. I feel as if I have so much more of an appreciation for my own belongings, and so much less of an appreciation for my own problems. Life goes on, and for me, the worst is never going to be that bad. It’s been eye opening for me to see the happiness that people can have despite having so little. Motivation to be successful is not a bad thing, but it’s just as important to appreciate what you currently have. A life spent always wishing for the next thing is just a life of never appreciating the things already owned. While a life spent frustrated about every problem is just a life spent frustrated, because problems are going to happen every single day.
