My Bucket List

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/plotsummary

Loved this movie of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, saw last year.  Especially Jack Nicholson (Edward Cole) playing an elite, owning the hospitals but doesn't find a separate room in his own hospital because of the policy.  Here are some lovely quotes from it;

Edward Cole: "Just because I told you my story does not invite you to be part of it."

Carter Chambers: "Forty-five years goes by pretty fast.

Edward Cole: "Like smoke through a keyhole"

And that's the thing that worries me a lot, about the rest of the life.  I made my bucket list too, quite different from the one in the movie.  Good thing about it is that it fulfills the desires of my predecessors too.  Bad thing is that it has gotten too long.  Nothing new, just many piled up conservative thoughts and old-fashioned ideas, backed up by harsh experience and failed experiments.  It doesn't even exist in the form of a list anymore.  It has become a plot, one with everything in it.  Orphans, poor, children, adults, women, illiterate lot, reading, writing, training, fun, planting, playing, swimming, martial arts, counseling, fashion, singing, dancing...all in a family environment.  I never had this concept of family environment for such a project but like a center or an official premises.  It all started few years ago, more exactly when I visited Sailani/Selani Welfare Center and saw one of their spot near by offering free food to please Allah.  Whenever I pass by that road, I see most of the people who go there to eat are Mashallah, healthy and in a good physical condition.  They don't look like the desperate one who supposed to be there.  I personally think of it as a very harmful trend to promote beggary.  Then when I met Mrs. Perveen of Khana Ghar and found out about the way she is trying to save as many miserable families as she can from starvation, this idea struck to my mind.  While she is working hard to feed with food, why not someone else step forward and provide them with basic quality education and good training.  We can't expect one person to do everything and Mrs. Perveen is doing her best.  Things are done better in collaboration of skills and passion.  It's like somebody is there to take full responsibility to comprise and hold on to a system and a team effort is required with a consistent provision of human resources to achieve the short-term objectives so the process doesn't stop.  Since my project is not supposed to be a charity-based one, I prefer at least a year long stock of basic supplies to be planned and provided in advance.  It is also a great convenience to take into consideration the expected as well as unexpected emergencies and leniency by any means in advance.  A clearly-written record of everything and everyone involved in the project helps to avoid mishandling and misunderstandings.  When to get started, as soon as the things are determined. 
I could have continued if I had my continuity of resources but doesn't matter, still working on it, calmly and patiently.  I have never been disappointed in God, for He is the most powerful and owns all the treasures of the heavens and the earth.


I tried to find out that how many orphanages and charity organizations were founded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).  So far I know none of them and if there were really none organized by him then certainly he wanted well-off and well-skilled members of the community to coordinate with each other and be responsible for the ones who were deprived of the basic necessities of life.  This is what is called an Islamic or a peaceful society.
Another concept that has developed in me in last couple of years is the one about giving sadiqah.  Leaving behind the true definition and reasons for sadiqah in Islam, in our country, sadiqah is considered a charity that is given to alleviate a curse, to remove the side-effects or after-shocks of our sins or like in Urdu we say, "bala talna".  We usually choose orphanages and people who are already living like a Hell to exchange our balaas.
But what if we change our intentions and start giving gifts to those poor living beings, holding an idea of caring and sharing.  If Allah (SWT) removes sins and eliminates curses in exchange of sadiqaat, just imagine how much would He Almighty be happy with Muslims giving gifts to each other, without any feeling of imposed-favors, show-off and photo sessions.
And why is it like children in living in charities or orphanages have to eat and wear something indecent.  Why can't I just bear them wearing nice stylish clothes as I prefer for my own child?  Why not the same food?  And why do they have to look at me like someone dignified and honored just because I'm able to feed them with few pieces of bread?  Why not like a source form the Lord Almighty who is there to give them a big hand, to enable them to stand on their feet, to lead them towards an independent life and to make believe that God is theirs' too.  And I find it better to stay home than to witness these despicable injustices.
Can't we celebrate the important national and Islamic days like making gift-packs for the one who need them.  Little gift packs of bangles, earrings, a clean, stylish dress, shoes, pencils, pens...or may be a tuition or registration or examination fee or a course book for a student....could be anything.  It was six years ago in Islamabad, on chand-raat, I saw a poor old man holding the hand of his four or five year old daughter.  They were very far from where we were standing and I think that she was asking him to buy her bangles while he obviously couldn't afford them.  Then I added this wish to my list that one day I will buy bangles for all little girls who can't afford them and something for boys too.  Printing part is ahead, unlike last time, I will have to sit with someone who can transcribe the script properly.  Where will I find a person with such a courage?
It's too many things to be done in too little time.