Fame and friendship

I studied a poem on fame and friendship long back in my higher secondary school days. I have a faint remembrance of the teacher but do not remember other details. I have nothing to share with you about the poet. I fail to recollect a detailed verse to verse summary of the poem.

I do remember only the theme of the poem. In a fact this poem has influenced my views on life to a great extend.

As I wrote above the poem was on fame and friendship. The poet was narrating the blessings of fame and friendship. Surely he might have supported one side, but I do not remember which side he supported.

From that time onwards I stood with one side - friendship.

Fame is the reward that the world gives for your endeavor so far. It comes to you after the hard work for a long period. It is bestowed by the world only to exceptional personalities. Not all exceptional personalities are bestowed with fame. Fame embraces only a few among the exceptional. Fame adorns only those who are noticed by the world. Those famous are exceptional and handpicked. For many people with excellent brilliance and devotional hard work pass away from this life without receiving any honour from the world.

So fame is not a reward for all excellent people, it is a reward for some excellent people. The criterions for awarding fame by the world are inconsistent. So we cannot expect fame on our head by doing more devotional service to the world than the present famous people. The world is wayward and caprice in awarding fame.

Fame lives with you while you are alive and lives even after your death. This is the positive aspect of being famous. Your name and personality will be remembered with thanks or hate even after you leave this world, for many more years.

Still fame has a time limit. The duration of fame depends on the famous personality, his service for the world and the gratitude of the people towards him.

The tragedy of fame is that, at times, it goes to the unmerited too. Good people are famous and bad people are ill famous. In a sense, both are famous.

Fame does not improve our life at any level. It is not monetary, comfort, health, spiritual, or power. It does not feed, shelter or cover the nakedness. It is fame and fame only. It will not comfort at the saddest moments of life. It never sheds a tear for you, never double your joy by sharing it.

Fame is a lifeless shadow lengthening at the best of our life and disappearing at the worse days. Hence it is not trustworthy.

Friendship is diametrically different at many levels.

Friendship is a reward for all souls irrespective of their excellence, wealth or talents. Even the most poor and untalented persons are eligible for good friends.

Friendship will not make you known worldwide. It will not create an icon of you.

But it keeps you flesh and blood always.

Friendship is not wayward. It is not for a selected few. It never demands exceptional services. It is love and warmth.

Friendship is not eternal. Friendship comes only up to your graveyard. It cannot come beyond it. Friendship sheds a drop of tear at your grave. It leaves there a deep sigh as a comforting companion at your loneliness in the grave.

You are remembered only in the heart of your friends but your memories remain alive as long as your friends live.

Friendship is food, shelter and clothes. It keeps the fire burning in your hearth. It cries with you, it laughs to double your joy. It never leaves you to an enemy.

Friendship is life, protection and care.

Only as long as you live.

What do you prefer - Fame or friendship?

I love friendship!

Professor Jacob Abraham                                                                            

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