“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I, a diminutive
nine year-old
child of nothing
but skin and bones
wearing my stained shorts and
torn shirt, was standing in line at
Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Bombay
with men, women, and dozens of other
children who looked very much like me.
I had not eaten in the past two days and hoped
this would be a day where I finally reached the front of the line.
As with most days, I made the 38-minute trek from our slum alone (as
dad disappeared months ago and mom was on day six of being bedridden)—dodging
cars, rickshaws, and cows through the crowded streets. I looked ahead to the woman handing out the
food and saw a foreign boy of my age wearing white basketball shoes and a red baseball cap with
a "C" on it standing next to her. I couldn't help but stare in envy. I wish I had the money to wear clothes and
shoes like that. I wish I could go far away from this place and never have to look back. I wish I could be that boy.
Ok….I have to admit….I was not the boy standing in line in this story. I was actually the one at the front—a simple
kid from Ohio sporting my slightly dusty Cincinnati Reds hat and Nike Air Jordans. The gaze of this boy
caught me and, unknown to him, has had a profound impact on my life ever since. Standing there, in
that moment, made me really think. Could I not have been born to a mother in the slums? What
fundamentally makes me any different from him and even begin to deserve the life that I have?
At the most basic level, I think this is why I seek to give back so much. I want to help in
the effort to see a day where that line in Bombay no longer needs to exist. I want to
see a day where award-winning films on India can no longer show children
suffering and dying due to extreme poverty. I want to see a day where
revered Indian celebrities and athletes (and more importantly... their
admirers) care more about humanity and helping social
causes than their latest films or product endorsements.
I want to be a catalyst for this change and help
others feel what I felt that July day. I want to
help drive a cultural shift that puts attention,
money, and effort where it ultimately
belongs—to stopping the injustice
and giving these kids that path to
a better life. They deserve the
opportunity to fulfill their
dreams and walk in
our shoes just as
much as
we do.
— Mohit Bathija