THE COMMOM MAN

 

THE     COMMOM     MAN

            The common man is an ordinary man. He is found everywhere. There is no part of a village, city, or state where he is not available to provide some requisite information to you.

            He is not a learned person. He has not acquired education in a reputed  school, college or university. His knowledge has been acquired in the school practical life. He has no read books like a scholar. But he has practical knowledge. He has acquired skills. He can climb a tree, mount a hill, swim in a river, save a drowning man, can lift a lot of language on his shoulders, can help you in tracing somebody’s house, office, or  business place.

            If you want your vehicle to be pushed, he is available as an instant volunteer.

            The common man knows more about a place than an uncommon man does. He is an observer.  He mixes with all and sundry.

            The common man may not be able to read and write, but he can speak more efficiently about common life than a so-called scholar. His knowledge is more idiomatic than that of a linguist.

            I have found common men very helpful. They don’t hesitate to share with you whatever they have. They believe in charity. They never disown you. They are humble, not arrogant. They are more God-fearing than high-caste  people or the members of a religious organization. God lives in their hearts.

            They are contented, not ambitious. They spend as much as they can because they are not hoarders.

            Common men are friendly, faithful and loyal. They meet you with a smile on their lips. They not only know what gratitude is but also practice it.

            Common men have an uncommon interest in their environment. You find them with pets like sparrows, pigeons, cats and dogs.

            Let us be generous to common men and do whatever we can to alleviate their material poverty. Morally and spiritually they are sufficiently rich.

            Here are a few lines from the poem The Common Road written by the American poet Silas H. Perkins (1857-1934).

“I want to laugh with the common man

Wherever he chance to be,

I want to aid him when I can

Whenever there’s need of me.

I want to lend a helping hand

Over the rough and steep

To a child too young to understand---

To comfort those who weep.

I want to live and work and plan

With the great crowd surging by,

To mingle with the common man,

No better or worse than I.

                                                            *******

G.R.Kanwal

5^th May 2026