Old man and the lift

Engayo padicha nyabgam..Indiavoda "city of skyscrappers" na athu Mumbai thaanamay. After coming here only realised. Emmaaaaddiiii....ella buildingum embuttu perusaa keethu. Pattikaataan mutaai kadaiya paatha mathiri first konja naal niminthu paathutay suthitrunthen (Quickly realised that better looking structures are at ground level and mobile :D ipolaam kannum kannum nokia thaan :D :D) Even normal residential buildings are a dozen plus storey high ( Approved constructionsa ilayanulam therila..but going by the numbers..i dont think there is any restriction here on the number of floors you can have in a building!!) The one where i stay is a 20 storeyed building (appadi..oru vazhia pointuku oru arai kilometer kita vanten..)

Though i stay in the second floor..its actually the 4th floor considering the 2 levels of parking. Current cut aagara anikelam drillu thaan..naalu maadi erarathukulla sethu pona thaatha paatilaam kannuku terivaanga. The lift operator in my apartment is a very old man. But full of energy. He will always smile at people who enter the lift and say pleasantries to them. Kids especially love him. He also takes immense pride in remembering where each person has to get down. Even before we could tell which floor we want to get down he would correctly press the button and look at us with glowing face. The nod or smile which he gets in return is the biggest compliment for him. Even if we dont respond he wouldnt mind. For some reason he has taken into his mind that i am from 3rd floor. Everytime when he see me, he would quickly press 3 and would smile at me. I corrected him the first time. Somehow i think it registered in his mind that i belong to third floor :) I stopped correcting him afterwards and everytime get down in 3rd floor, will wave at him and once the lift door closes will walk back down to 2nd floor. I dont mind the walk rather than bursting his happy bubble :)

I am always amazed at the way in which he finds ways to make his job interesting. Imagine..going up and down in a lift..half the time there wouldnt even be anyone using it. If there is a countdown for top 10 dull jobs i guess this would definitely be right on top in the list. Not that i am belittling the nature of work. When someone gets stuck or if the power goes off while we are in lift..that time the presence of the operator is a calming effect. Well..at times i get so irritated with the kind of work i do..i feel like running away from all these things. It feels so meaningless and mundane. I think about the old man nowadays whenever such thoughts come. He has taught me a great lesson without even uttering a single word.

Comments

R-ambam said…
unnal mudiyum thambi nnu thaatha sonnaaraakum :)
Anonymous said…
These people are wonderful,illa Gils?? How they appreciate life they live? And how they enjoy their work?? They inspire and deserve better recognition!!
23-C said…
title a pathu vudanae nan etho world cinemanu ninachan...

epdiyo, antha old man moodikidantha unga kanna thiranthutarunu sollunga!

(also epdiyavathu intha weekend kula nenga tag pana question sessionku reply panidran! :-))
G3 said…
:)))))))))))))))))))))

Thookka kalakkam :D So only attendance ippo.. Gummi later :P
Aarti said…
naan etho neenga bombay buildings pathi pesaporeenga ninaichein.. aana sema post ponga!!! :)


When i look at the lift attendent, garbage cleaners, toilet/sewage cleaning people i feel really lucky to have the life i do and cant even begin to imagine what they go thru everyday....pavam!! if not for them, naama nariduvom- literally!!
Priya said…
Sometimes others make us learn with simple things in life.
nice post.. inspiring lift man and a leaf out of his book presented gils style..
Soin said…
20 floors?? apo porbability of jingli jasthi aiyudum..free
Annam said…
வந்துட்டோம்ல:)
Annam said…
தாத்தா என்ன சொன்னாரு
Annam said…
ஏம்ல வர வர ரொம்ப யோசிக்கிற
Annam said…
Great people observe little things too
Annam said…
mottai maadila unnaiya podalaya:)
Annam said…
sonna udana neenga kudutha tag work mudichiten gils me samathu pillai thaana:)
gils said…
//unnal mudiyum thambi nnu thaatha sonnaaraakum :)//
avaru onumay solala... :) zen kathai mathiri

//These people are wonderful,illa Gils?? How they appreciate life they live? And how they enjoy their work?? They inspire and deserve better recognition!!//

absolutely :)
gils said…
//title a pathu vudanae nan etho world cinemanu ninachan...
//

old man and sea inspired title thaanga ithu :D :D konjam haaaalyywud rangeku kathai ilatiyum titlachum irukatumaynu thaan
gils said…
//
Thookka kalakkam :D So only attendance ippo.. Gummi later :P//

vadai miss aana sogatha sleepi kazhikareengala :D
gils said…
//naan etho neenga bombay buildings pathi pesaporeenga ninaichein.. aana sema post ponga!!! :)
//

twistuuuunga twisssstu :)

//if not for them, naama nariduvom- literally!!
//

nammathalaivar itha thaana ballelakkala soliruakru :D
gils said…
//Sometimes others make us learn with simple things in life....//
solli thara elarum ready..kathukaroma??? :D cha enna oru sinthanai..kalakitada gils :) ( kandipa neenga yarum solaporathilal..so i the tellings myself :D )
gils said…
//nice post.. inspiring lift man and a leaf out of his book presented gils style..//

nanri nanri nanri :D

//aacharyam thaan!//

ennga acharaym?
gils said…
//வந்துட்டோம்ல//

pikaaaali vanthacha :D sooper

//தாத்தா என்ன சொன்னா//

pikaalia naalu saatha sonaru :D

//Great people observe little things t/

danku danku :D
gils said…
//sonna udana neenga kudutha tag work mudichiten gils me samathu pillai thaana:)/

ithula ena doubt :)
Aarti said…
bombayla en friend irukira flatla 28floors, ava irukarathu 17th floorla!!! :D
gils said…
//bombayla en friend irukira flatla 28floors, ava irukarathu 17th floorla!!! :D//

sutham :D thanni kashtam vantha scene than
Vishnu said…
sir.. power cut bodhu naalu floor ereradhu kastam nu solreenga but daily thatha kaga 1 floor erangureenga.. ungala purijukuvae mudiyala...
gils said…
//power cut bodhu naalu floor ereradhu kastam nu solreenga but daily thatha kaga 1 floor erangureenga.. ungala purijukuvae mudiyala.../

:)) there lies the point :)
sri said…
//தாத்தா என்ன சொன்னாரு//

Annam 65 vangittu vara sonnaru :)
LOL
sri said…
Super post da , kalakkala ezudhirukkey, some people like this old man makes a difference in others life even without realising it.
sri said…
//தாத்தா என்ன சொன்னா//

pikaalia naalu saatha sonaru :D
//


ROFTL

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