So close, yet so far away!
I was puttering around this low-cost/labourer neighbourhood today when I saw these evening shift lads waiting for their bus. While waiting, they were all staring at all those high-rising towers on Sheikh Zayed Road at walking distance from them. Its lads like these who help build all those buildings and yet… I couldn't help but wonder what must be going throughout their minds!
I remember a conversation I had a while back with a smart skinny young lad who was working as a loader on Dhows at Dubai Creek. We talked about everything from places he's been to his favourite bollywood actress.
I didn't think he was 18 so I asked him how old was he, he just smiled and said what difference does it make?
I asked him why do you choose to do this, you're so smart, you could've been anything you wanted to be.
His response was: CHOICE, is a luxury word that rich, educated or resourceful people use, I never saw my dad, he died before I was born, my mother was a proud lady, she wasn't educated so she cleaned other people's houses to raise us alone, she tried to send us to school but from the moment I could walk, all I've ever wanted to do was to help my mother and I jumped to first opportunity I got and it led to where I am today, there's no shame in what I do, it's honest work and I sleep peacefully at night.
I guess sometimes there are no bad guys except life itself, some of us are always gonna be more fortunate then the others and some of us would always find it hard to find our feet, it's an age old story I guess.
apologies if I got a bit carried away, I tend to get silly like that sometimes!