Saturday Story from Siva (11): The Story of an Army Officer and His Father

Hi,
Here is another true story, a story of an Army Officer and His Father, and the legacy they carried forward from his Grandfather.....
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An excerpt from "A Lesson in Ethics by an Army Officer"
By Retd Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch (Contribution by Jagadish C Majumdar)

It was the summer of 1967. I was sixteen years old. My father, who was then working for Indian Army as a colonel never allowed any of our family members use the office jeep for family use, while most others routinely did so. I was so upset, one day I mustered up enough courage and asked my father, "Why don't you let us use the office jeep sometimes, Dad?"

He replied, "I would son, but the pear would not go down my throat."

"What pear?" I asked.

Father narrated this amazing tale. "When I was a kid your age, I had gone out to play with my friends. On the farther side of the village there was a beautiful orchard of pears. We crawled under the fence and took all that we could carry before scampering back to safety. I took my share of the loot home. Your grandfather was sitting in the veranda, and I offered him a plate with the freshly cut pears. I don't know what I expected to get from him; praise or appreciation. What I got, however, was something totally different. He said that the pear would not go down his throat as he found it impossible to eat anything that had not been honestly obtained."

"I took the plate back with an overriding sense of pain and guilt. Away from your grandfather's eyes, I took a bite of the pear to see if there was any truth in the assumption. Well, the pear wouldn't go down my throat either." "Life offers many temptations, son, but some of us cannot get the pear down our throats."
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Fruits obtained through labour in a fair and just manner are always sweet, rewarding true happiness to the one who rightfully deserved it. Those obtained, through unfair means, even if appear to be good in the short-term, eventually cause undue worry and unhappiness. I am sure you would agree with me that we find the days on which we put in our best efforts more fulfilling and the rewards they fetch more blissful.

You can read the complete story written by Dhruv Katoch at http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2010/08/a-lesson-in-ethics-by-an-army-officer.html

To your continued SUCCESS,

With love and regards,
Siva