Today, after a really long time, I sat in front of a morning show and felt that the two hours were not wasted at all. To my surprise, there was no reenactment of a wedding ceremony for couples who got married a decade ago and have two kids, nor were there famous people bragging about a lifestyle that is beyond imaginable for a majority struggling to make ends meet. Instead, the guest list included Pakistanis from all walks of life and age groups who have made a difference in some way. From an 8-year-old doll dress designer to an old rickshaw driver, who transports patients to hospitals using his rickshaw as an ambulance (they call it the “ambulance-rickshaw”), there were people whose names have never been heard before on popular media.

There were students whose final year projects turned out to be big inventions, such as the engineering student who designed a sewing machine for visually-impaired people. There were entrepreneurs whose small start-ups became success stories. There were those who hardly attended primary school and made a difference, like the rickshaw driver, who is providing a service by putting his rickshaw to a use not many would have thought of. There were athletes who represented Pakistan at the Tokyo Olympics; the list went on as more people joined in.

What I really appreciate is that people’s efforts were acknowledged, not their awards or medals. Guests were not invited based on who topped the charts, who beat whom and how many times or who stood as the ultimate number-one. Rather, it was the difference they made that was highlighted, no matter how big or small it was. I believe heroism must be defined along these lines. I am in no way trying to put down the worth of winning awards or securing top places. I know it’s hard. I have been there and done that myself, and the recognition motivates you to work harder and achieve more. However, the point here is that those who invest their time and energy into something that benefits others, do deserve appreciation, even if they don’t reach the point where they can make it to the headlines.

Everybody wishes for a better quality of life and greater opportunities, but, there are those who decide to stay and make a difference in their own homeland, for their own people.

At a time when everyone seems to care only about themselves, there are those who are trying to make this world a better place – especially this part of the world. I know there are a lot of things waiting for a change, not just economically but socially as well, but highlighting only the negative side has never done any good, unless it’s aimed at offering constructive criticism.

Today, a number of our youth are trying to make their way out of Pakistan. In some cases their reasons are justified. Everybody wishes for a better quality of life and greater opportunities, but then there are also those who decide to stay back and make a difference in their own homeland, for their own people. They deserve to be praised and celebrated, not only during this time of the year, but for every little effort that they put in. At a time when all the relatives, teachers, student leaders and anyone you look up to advises you to quickly ‘move out’ and do for yourself whatever is possible in this little lifetime, there are those who have different priorities.

I am in no way belittling the contributions made by Pakistanis settled overseas, but simply shedding light on the general attitude of young people. They wait for change and are not ready to work for it. Aspiring to study and work abroad and looking for international exposure is not wrong – what’s wrong is the idea that it’s the only route to a successful life. Many are ready to do all kinds of minimum wage work in another country but want only white-collar jobs in Pakistan. I just wish all our morning shows looked like their August-special episodes. It will go a long way towards changing attitudes.

The author previously taught at NCA, FAST and PU, and presently teaching writing, communication and linguistics courses at FCCU. Can be reached at maheenzia03@gmail.com