The Story of an Old Man and a Rose

Posted: 13 years ago
All, I am sharing this story by Heino Molls in the hope that everyone will stop for a moment to appreciate what we already have in terms of a great show, and develop a more positive and embracing approach towards the actors and rest of the team that make it so. Like the narrator of this story, buy a rose, think of Maaneet and feel that it is the best thing you have done in the day.........

πŸ€—to you all to make you smile.

The Old Man and the Rose 

Author: Heino Molls


During the mid 1950s when I was a kid, my dad worked in a furniture shop at Spadina and Queen in downtown Toronto. Sometimes, I got to go to the shop with him and I made a bit of pocket change running to the restaurant and getting coffee for everybody. I would pass the rest of the day away just hanging around the store, not doing much of anything and not paying much attention to all the hustle and bustle of people and things that were all around me.


One day, as my dad and I were driving to the shop, I looked out the passenger window of the car and I saw an old man standing at the street corner. For some reason, our eyes met and held for about twenty seconds as we went by the corner. There was nothing fearful about this man but it was a significant encounter for me. Up to that point in my life, I had given no thought to anyone I saw on the street, in stores or anywhere else. My life was my family and my friends on the block and that was it. I had no interest in anyone beyond that circle.

But I was intrigued by that old man. For the first time I had an empathy and an interest in what that person was all about. What kind of life had he lived? Where had he been in his time? How had he come to this corner just at the moment I was going by?

Over the years I had long forgotten about this old man, but he came to mind for me recently and I remembered those twenty seconds or so that I looked into the eyes of a stranger and wondered what he was all about.

It seems we are all so busy these days. There are so many details, so many calls to make and so many things to look after that we barely have time for sincere and genuine interest in others.

We are inundated by warnings from great thinkers in our society encouraging us to 'stop and smell the roses'. But I'm afraid it has taken me decades to really appreciate the wisdom of these words.

If I ever have the opportunity to speak to a young person today, I do my best to convey this message. But unfortunately, young people are too busy to heed good advice. Much like I was so many years ago. Youth indeed is so often wasted on the young.

If I had the chance, I would tell young people to stop what they are doing and look around. I would tell them to try as hard as they could to fully understand what is right in their line of sight, what is in the range of their hearing at the moment, what is in their immediate reach and grasp.

I would like so much to tell people, especially young people, that if you are thoughtless and indifferent to others on your road in life, then you are missing life itself. Do not be intrusive or tactless, for heaven's sake, but take a moment and ask someone, how did you come here or how did you get into this business?

No matter what that person tells you, their answer will make you richer. You can grow emotionally, you can excel as a person and you can be wealthy by every measure if you just appreciate the gifts that people and life all around you are ready to give right at this moment just by their simple presence.


We should appreciate that great symphonies were written from only seven simple notes that God gave the entire universe. We should know that great works of art are measured by the emotions they evoke, not just how they look next to the plant stand.

We should never forget that heartache cannot be cured but can be eased by someone willing to give genuine sympathy. The true greatness of joy can only be known when it is shared with others.


Recently, I attended a trade show at the convention centre in downtown Toronto. During the lunch break I went to a book sale along the trendy Queen West area. I was thinking about returning to the show or carrying on my walk when I realized I was standing at the corner of Spadina and Queen. At that moment a car went by and I caught the eye of a young boy looking at me from the passenger window. We looked at each other for about twenty seconds before the car disappeared around the corner. I wondered if that boy was thinking about what sort of person I was.

And I realized that I was now an old man. Like the man I saw so many years ago.

I wondered if 50 years had just simply flashed by or whether that boy and I had just simply changed places in the span of 20 seconds.

Before I returned to the trade show, I stopped at a florist. I bought a rose and put it in the lapel of my jacket. For some reason, I felt it was the most important thing I would do for the rest of the day.
Edited by sksg - 13 years ago
Posted: 13 years ago
I loved it. We are all so busy in our lives and sometimes forget to appreciate the good things. Everyday I am looking forward to see what the day brings to me both in terms of my interaction at work and with my family. I also eagerly await for geet episode that day andd veryday I appreciate how the actors have brought beauty in the characters of maan and geet.
Although I have felt sad today, i hope these two actors conitune to give us the same pleasure together that they have give us before.
 
I hope I do not sound too out of context.
 
Kay
Posted: 13 years ago
Originally posted by delhigirl


I loved it. We are all so busy in our lives and sometimes forget to appreciate the good things. Everyday I am looking forward to see what the day brings to me both in terms of my interaction at work and with my family. I also eagerly await for geet episode that day andd veryday I appreciate how the actors have brought beauty in the characters of maan and geet.
Although I have felt sad today, i hope these two actors conitune to give us the same pleasure together that they have give us before.
 
I hope I do not sound too out of context.
 
Kay


You are not out of context Kay. I am hoping people will use this post as a platform to express their appreciation for those who made this show so entertaining for us. It is but a small token of appreciation for their hard work.
Posted: 13 years ago
Originally posted by sksg




You are not out of context Kay. I am hoping people will use this post as a platform to express their appreciation for those who made this show so entertaining for us. It is but a small token of appreciation for their hard work.
Agreed. I am praying that both of them are able to conitnue to act with each other and keep their charm and chemistry alive. I am sure that they are true professionals and will not fail to do so
Posted: 13 years ago
I don't know why exactly, but your post gave me goosebumps.

The youth of today (including myself) are always too busy. That feeling of never having time to pick up the phone and call an old friend or to do things in life for the fun of doing it while forgetting everything else.

Yet somehow we find time in our busy lives to indulge in many insignificant things. Time goes by so fast, make the most of every second.

As Hrithik said in Guzaarish:

Life is short..break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.
Posted: 13 years ago
I luv ur post...ur right.......we hav to be more positive ...about everything....😊
Posted: 13 years ago
sri...........lovely topic dear........beautifully explained........wont add more bt understood d message..........

thnx for dis topic
Posted: 13 years ago
nice story...and it has a lovely message for us youths who hardly find time to look around us to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us....
 
there is a small poem in bengali written by rabindranath tagore that goes like this...
"we spend loads of money and sweat to travel all over the world to look at nature's beauty...but we fail to see the beauty of the early morning dewdrop on the grass in our own garden in front of our house"...
 
a show is a product of sheer hard work of the entire creative team including the actors....lots of thinking and planning goes behind each episode...and we must appreciate their effort...yes criticism is healthy to some extent....it helps the CVs to work better and rectify any errors....but we must respect the effort of other ppl...
 
we hv loved the show since it started...and it is because of the team's hard work...so y not lets trust them to know better....if they cud make us fall in love with their show...then how come we cannot trust them to sustain our love....
Posted: 13 years ago
Originally posted by hindu4lyf


I don't know why exactly, but your post gave me goosebumps.

The youth of today (including myself) are always too busy. That feeling of never having time to pick up the phone and call an old friend or to do things in life for the fun of doing it while forgetting everything else.

Yet somehow we find time in our busy lives to indulge in many insignificant things. Time goes by so fast, make the most of every second.

As Hrithik said in Guzaarish:

Life is short..break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.


That is a wonderful dialog. Seemingly simple lines, yet profound in its meaning. Thanks for sharing it.

The world indeed runs by very fast and before we know it, age and youth slips away from us like sand through the sieve and we one day face the only truth that is certain for every living being. For some reason, I am reminded of the opening dialogs of 3 Idiots movie and its final message of 'All is Well'.
Edited by sksg - 13 years ago
Posted: 13 years ago
Originally posted by mgdg_2010


I luv ur post...ur right.......we hav to be more positive ...about everything....😊


Yes dear. We only have enough time to journey from a mother's womb to a funeral pyre and why should we waste it on negative things.

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