Page 80 - Real English 2024 Book 8

DIGITAL RESOURCES
A Lesson in Life from 8

a Beggar

Do we appreciate things in life as often as we criticize them? When we complain about our difficulties, do we care
about how others live? Who would tell us whether our perceptions, opinions and beliefs about the world and its
people are right or wrong? Some little incidents in life really can teach us that important lesson, as Meena in

Sudha Murty’s story learned.

Meena is a good friend of mine. She is an LIC
officer earning a good salary. But there was
something strange about her. She was forever

unhappy. Whenever I met her, I would start
to feel depressed. It was as though her
1
gloom and cynicism had a way of spreading
2
to others. She never had anything positive to
say on any subject or about any person.
For instance, I might say to her, ‘Meena,

did you know Rakesh has come first in his
school?’
Meena’s immediate reaction would be
3
to belittle the achievement. ‘Naturally, his
father is a school teacher,’ she would say.

If I said, ‘Meena, Shwetha is a very beautiful girl, isn’t she?’ she
4
would be pessimistic. ‘When a pony is young, he looks handsome. It
is age that matters. Wait for some time, Shwetha will be uglier than
anyone that you know.’
1.
sad and hopeless ‘Meena, it’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk.’
2.
the belief that nothing good ‘No, the sun is too hot and I get tired if I walk too much.
will happen Besides, who says walking is good for health? There is no proof.’
3.
make something seem That was Meena. She stayed alone in an apartment in Bangalore
unimportant
expecting bad things to as her parents lived in Delhi. She was an only child and had the habit
4.
happen of complaining about anything and everything. Naturally, she wasn’t
5.
made to change the place of very pleasant company and nobody wanted to visit her. Then one day,
5
job Meena was transferred to Bombay and soon we all forgot about her.

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