I have just returned after a three day stay in a remote village in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. For three days I was without my blackberry and my laptop. It was a strange feeling, the first emotion was panic, what will happen if I’m not connected. I realized that my uncle who lived here had never used a mobile phone.

My uncle’s family had a landline phone, no TV, no washing machine, no fans, no gas, no shower, no western toilet, no dining table, no car. What did they use, bicycle, fireplace, firewood, coal, banana leaves, freshly plucked vegetables, fresh milk from the cow over there in the rear, thick curd or yogurt, healthy life in the open air, with a lot of menial and physical work.

I looked at my uncle who is in his 60s, strong and stocky build, kind natured, affable personality, always smiling, willing to help others. A life of hardship spent outdoors in the fields, toiling and sweating. Patience is an ornament he wore very comfortably, peace was his nature, tranquility his possession. While it was predictable, there was stability.

My dismay at the lack of amenities, connectivity, comforts I was used to, in the first hours of my arrival were slowly replaced by positive feelings, thanks to the magnificent calm, stillness, time stopped, heartbeat and pulse they slowed down. . The air was pure, the invigorating aroma of flowers, leaves, the gentle flow of the river in the backyard of the house, the green roof around, the singing of a variety of birds, was music to the ears.

I decided to go with my uncle to the field. After a delicious and sumptuous breakfast, we decided to leave for the day’s work. We started walking, my uncle with a dhoti, sickle in hand, barefoot, me with rubber boots, a shoulder bag, sunglasses, jeans, a cotton shirt, a bottle of mineral water, etc. We should have walked about 20 minutes through a thick forest. area with dense foliage, my uncle continually updating me on the various activities, I was sweating profusely and feeling uncomfortable in my rubber boots.

We reached the lush green fields, my uncle called his farmhands and they discussed the strategy for the day, after giving the necessary instructions to each and every one, my uncle took off his shirt, hung it on a tree, arranged his dhoti of so that I could go out into the field and do the work with them. I was lying in a hammock and watching the activities. The next three hours were grueling, hard menial labor in the fields. Each one of them working furiously in the relentless sun, me under the cool confines of a huge banyan tree drinking coconut water.

When it was time for lunch, all the peons headed for the tree, after washing their hands and feet in a nearby stream, they all settled in for a simple and hearty meal of green chilli rice porridge. He barely had an appetite because he hadn’t made anything. Then I realized that in our corporate life, where we get out of the house to a car, work in air-conditioned offices, sit in front of laptops, meet, discuss, brainstorm, eat sandwiches, drink endless cups of tea or coffee, on the go. home eat some more junk food and finally, after being mentally exhausted, throw yourself in bed and sleep.

The three days taught me the value of hard work, simplicity, humility, tolerance, patience, tolerance, cooperation, acceptance of the omnipresence of nature, contentment with the status quo, tranquility, peace mental and inner joy. I’m still trying to hold it, as I head to the office in the car…