First American Hair cut: A Realization

Today, I went for my first hair cut in America.. not a big deal though.. But the conversation I had with my hair setter was a kind of realization which once again confirmed Indian Culture's roots are so strong in America too..

So it started with a common Salon talk from the hair to the politics and breaking news(even braking news suits here) of the Hurricane. However, the turn that the conversation took was interesting. We were discussing how unpredictable the world had become with the recent Hurricane in Texas and other recent events(And I was mapping to the serial blasts in Delhi in India) The Hairsetter, she must in her early 40s'(and didn't know that I came to US only a few months back), started pointing me to how many times do you(she meant my generation) open a door for a lady, or help an elderly person or give a pregnant woman a seat in the bus or train. And I always feel uncomfortable with such questions since I do help a majority times. But I got her point.

And then she told me a story about an elderly American woman(in her early 80s' and her customer) who once fell off and needed help during winter. She lay there for 2 hours just seeing people passing by and avoiding to help her. She was hardly able to speak till she saw a group of 3 Indians approaching her. She was scared what will this foreigners to do her. Elderly Americans are skeptical about the change America is going with the growing number of immigrants. These Indians guys, as my hair setter narrated to me, actually took her to her place and called up someone who she knew. All the way while these Indians were taking her back home, she prayed God that they won't harm her or rob her. From that day she had a different perspective of Indians and its culture. As my American hair dresser quoted, "Its the Indian culture, under which you young kids are raised makes a difference." "Respecting elders, reaching out to them for help and service are few of the important aspects that Indian culture teaches", I added.

What I would reiterate from this is that I am proud that I belong to such a culture whose followers leave behind such a mark which is not possible to erase from one's memoirs. Right from the Vivekanand(thats my knowledge limitations, I am not sure who left a mark earlier than him) to any common Indian today, An Indian leaves a unique identity through his work, teaching and practice.