People Solution

It was yesterday, 23 December 2009. I reached Raiganj the previous evening, and in the morning, at the invitation of the priests at the Cathedral church in Chotparua, I shifted myself from Raiganj to stay with them during the Christmas. And the priests here had given me a room in the second floor. I reached there after meeting several of my friends, and consulting the doctors for a minor infection that I suffer from, at about 8.00 p.m. It was dark as I climbed up to leave my briefcase. I found that the lights on the wall that light up the staircase were not working. Immediately after that I joined them for dinner, at which I said about the staircase. The younger priests who were supposed to take care of house maintenance complained that the lights have been fixed in the “wrong places” that it is too difficult to change bulbs. They said, however, that they would give a try again. When I finished my dinner, taken my pills, and climbing up I saw two young priests and a housekeeper struggling with the bulb. They had brought a bamboo to climb up….which would have been extremely dangerous. The position of the bulb was in between two floors with no straight floor underneath. One of them was saying that the last time he changed the bulb, a year ago, they had brought a ladder and had it footed on single leg, and the other side was held by someone.

I looked up and gave them a flash answer. It is really easy to change the bulb! How? I told the priest (who was stronger physically) to pick up the housekeeper on his shoulder and that is exactly the height they needed. Believe it or not! With the housekeeper comfortably sitting on the shoulders of the priest, in a minute the fused bulb was replaced with a good one, and the lights came!

Moral of the event: a) Complicated problems often have simpler solutions. b) When you can not solve problems, seek advice. c) If things do not solve problems, people can. d) If you are willing to carry someone for a while, he would not mind making the place filled with light for you e) Problems can look clueless simply because of your perception

Have a Happy Christmas!