Opinion | Only the Wearer Knows Where the Shoe Pinches

Now-a-days almost every person is running after money, as money is the most important thing of material value in our lives and as such it has become an integral part of our lives. Some people want to accumulate more and more assets and some just want to feed their family for a single meal. The priorities in the present times have very much changed, people only think about material gains and nobody cares about the sufferings of poor people. Materialism is having its end but it is not the end in itself, and it is not an aim worth to achieve. Lack of money does not only create frustrations in our minds but has somehow devastated our lives. People from all over the world and from all walks of life have to deal with financial stress and uncertainty every day. People who have accumulated money do not bother about those who do not have a single penny in their pockets or to feed their families. Day-in and day-out people leave their homes in rush just to earn something for their survival. Some people run after busses and auto rickshaws to reach their destination as they cannot afford their own vehicles. Some people even cannot afford fair for their means of transportation and have to walk on their foot to reach their destinations. Many persons become drivers, shopkeepers, barber’s, cobbler’s etc. who toil hard to make the ends meet. Yet there are some other people who beg on the roads, in busses, parks etc just to live from hand to mouth. All these people have in their mind that unless and until they would not earn, their family will suffer from starvation. This thing keeps up their morale high and their hardly earn such an amount that will suffice their basic needs. This money problem can take a huge toll on our mental and physical health, our relationships and overall quality of life. Feeling beaten down by monetary issues adversely impacts our lives. It can leave you feeling frustrated, depressed, sometimes fearful and angry and even ashamed. This money problem damages our confidence and self-esteem. We may feel flawed and at the end fills us with a sense of despair. Sometimes we enter into arguments with our closet ones. We do not want them to think bad about us as we are not financially sound. Sweet relationships turn into bitter ones because one person can not fulfil the needs of others and hence create misunderstandings which ultimately results into break-ups and separations. It’s a trend that whenever a person has to show their love and care towards others, he/she has to buy some expensive gifts and presents just to make them feel special. But on the other hand a person who does not have money just to but a simple present or arrange a lunch or dinner for them, they get ashamed and feel down for not doing such things for their loved ones. This is a well versed sentence that “money cannot buy everything” rather money can buy almost everything. Yes, it’s true that peace of mind and soul cannot be achieved by money, but when you do something good or special for someone, it give you such a happiness which automatically makes you feel overwhelmed and peaceful. Every time we have to sacrifice one thing just to get something and this struggle of getting money leads to strong mental illness and anxiety. Many people suffer from insomnia and social isolation because of lack of money. This tension makes them down day by day and they get depressed. When financial stress become overwhelming your mind, body and social life have to pay a heavy price. It has been surveyed that financial stress prompt suicidal thoughts and actions. Even many people have ended their lives by doing suicide as they were unable to give up with such stress. With low financial status, students who want to pursue degrees of their choices stuck on the mid-way as paying huge expenses to avail education becomes a burden on them. They fall by the way-side and start to earn by burning the candle on both sides in order to meet their ends. Their dreams get’s destroyed. Lack of money is the root of all evils. Many people try to do illegal acts to get money for the sake of their family. Every poor family struggles with financial stress. They get worried about their daily needs, escalating debts, unmarried children, ailing parents, expenses of housing repairs and what not. All these things continuously keeps them in stress and ultimately results in so many side effects on mental, physical as well as social life. There are thousands of instances where people bend down, loose hope and they finally get rid of over the things by ending their life mercilessly. The people who are financially sound enjoy their life with almost no worries and regrets. But on the other hand, people with less or no means of livelihood are always tense about their basic needs and necessities. Financial issues clip our wings and cause us to withdraw from friends, family and curtail our social life. We stop talking to people even to our beloved ones because this tension and stress keeps you down all the time and you only want to be isolated from the people and all worldly things. Every day, social media apps are poked up with notifications about such families who are in need of financial help because either they are suffering from any chronic illnesses or they want to get their daughters married but because of financial crisis they are unable to afford their medical and marriage expenses. Nobody gives a damn about such things, they just skip the news and carry on their chit chatting videos, reels etc. Only that particular family suffers, their heart bleeds, nobody is there to look after their condition except Almighty Allah. To earn money, we have to go through number of hurdles. This is not going to be bed of roses for us. In every field we need to struggle hard but this struggle is only for those who have empty pockets. It has been rightly said that, “rich get’s richer and poor get’s poorer”. Rich always gets the opportunity that he wishes for, whether it is some job opportunity, seats in NEET of JEE, he gets the first rank by giving bribe or he can invest in anything and stand on their own feet. And in the same situation the financially low person suffers again. With more money you will have fewer complaints and with less money, you will have more complaints with your life. You will be always unsatisfied with everything you have. Every person deserves to be happy and prosper in his/her life and now-a-days this happiness cannot be achieved without money. It is a proven fact that money can buy you happiness according to researches. As a matter of fact, the more the person earns the more satisfied and happier he/she is with his/her life. Even though many things do not have its price, in a manner of speech, you can pretty much buy everything you would like with money. The problems of have’s differ substantially from those of have not’s. We have seen hundreds of people die in hospitals, roads; homes etc just because they cannot afford quality treatment for their illnesses. If the same case will be that of a rich man, he get’s as best treatment as possible to save his or her beloved one from even a very chronic disease. There are hundreds of such instances where poor family bears all the pain and agony. I have a question why only such people suffer, don’t they deserve to get everything of their choice, why all the facilities and luxuries are for have’s, why have not’s always suffer? Nobody can answer these questions because nobody can see their pain, only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.

(About Writer : Maheena Anayat Raina Law Student at Sopore Law Colleges)