Powerful people who inspire us with their character or actions can be found everywhere. Sporting a new hairstyle inspired by your favourite, choosing a career owing to an impression made by an acquaintance…the instances are many. A servant’s loyalty, a newspaper boy’s punctuality and even your dog’s love…why can’t we see the good things happening around us and learn from them?
Such a learning happened to me recently. One day, during one of my holidays, I got up from bed and looked at the mirror only to get highly frustrated by a sunburn scar. I then started nagging my mom to take me to a dermatologist but being a working woman, she never got time to do so. Later, when I was surfing the Internet, I found myself staring in shock at the face of a man named Mark Tatum.
Having been infected by mucormycosis, he had to have his eyes, nose, upper jaw and all surrounding bone and tissue removed just to save his life. He literally had no face. Yet, he was living happily with his loving wife who proved that life requires nothing but a loving heart.
Now he’s left a lasting impression (hope) on my face. Now I find myself less bothered by my scar and my visits to the beauty salon being in the end of my priority list.
We all know that Life can never be complete without hope, love, trust and understanding. To this list, I would like to add impressions left by people like Mark.
VINITA VIVEKANANDAN, III Year, B.A English Literature, SDNB Vaishnav College for Women
