FRUSTRATED But Life Must Go On

Putting in 16-17 hours of work everyday for the past six and a half years in the belief that it will make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate and who stand in need for things that I am fortunate enough to be able to help provide, is, by everyone’s account, a meritorious act that is guaranteed to reserve me a berth in the heavens in my afterlife. The long-drawn-out journey has not sapped my energy one bit – but same thing cannot be said of my emotional wellbeing – it has taken a severe beating. I am frustrated but I refuse to be maimed by the experience.

At the end of my journey with the Rotary, which should have terminated at the end of June this year – I have come to realize that I too have been as stupid as – Tenzin Rigden. As intelligent and smart as he is acknowledged to be, he committed a terminal error of judgment:

Sending the world’s laziest people – to a nation filled with the world’s hardest working people – Japan. For crying out loud – WHAT WAS HE THINKING?

In the same vein – what was I thinking? That I can make a difference to a people who have been anaesthetized by Kidu – from cradle to grave? – to a bunch of people who has become accustomed to getting everything free on their platters – without putting in an iota of effort to earn what they receive?

As the prime mover and shaker in the Rotary Club of Thimphu – I have on number of occasions had to deal with civil servants – the only lot of people in Bhutan today who remain absolutely unaffected by the pandemic that has ravaged every other sector in the country. The civil servants remain stoical in their incompetence and lethargy. This lot simply and utterly fail to come to grips with the difficulties that the nation is currently going through. They are still chasing their fat salaries, their TA/DA, their undeserved car and duty free quotas, while other Bhutanese suffer the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, His Majesty is supposed to have, finally, come out and said a mouthful to the civil servants. As we all know, He has been gearing up for the moment – please read the following to know what I mean:

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2018/12/that-creed-of-humanoids-called-civil.html

Unfortunately, as part of the whole, I too must suffer because of their greed and incompetence – and I am suffering. I can act – but if I do, the repercussions would be not that which I aspire for. But I do have a choice – I can always opt out any time I want, and I am doing so.

But His Majesty cannot – He is the last stop. The luxury of giving up is not in His job description. Thus He too must continue to suffer – the pain and frustration of helplessness - in the face of so much mindlessness and irresponsibility.