THE BALLOON MAN
From a dark period to adding colours in life
There are simple things in life that makes life colourful.
Pradeep, 32, is literally doing it. He sells colourful balloons, mostly with printed cartoon movie characters along the national referral hospital where hundreds visit the hospital everyday.
The balloons are different. The balloons that can fly away amusing children if not held tight. It is not a lucrative business, but Pradeep taking on the business gels well with his life.
A class 12 dropout from Gomtu, Samtse, Pradeep stays with his brother in Changangkha. His story is not as colourful as the balloons he sells. He had been into drugs and alcohol addiction before. He had spent time in rehabilitation in centers in Serbithang, and Siliguri, India. He spent three years recovering from what he calls the dark period in his life.
Pradeep said being a drug and alcohol addict, he didn’t have any vision or aim in life. “All that came to my mind was fun and enjoying every bit of its (drugs) taste,” he said. When he was referred to a rehab, he started thinking “for the first time in life”.
He calls himself clean now. Today his routine is different. He gets up at 7am. He starts filling the balloons with helium gas. By 10 am he is done filling about 40 balloons and hits the road.
Donning his favorite cap and earphones plugged into his ears, Pradeep is visible from afar by his balloons. Each balloon costs Nu 100 and on a good day, he makes around 4,000. A good day is when he return empty handed, selling all the balloons.
“My life has changed,” said Pradeep. “Everybody likes bright colours and I give them that,” he added referring to selling the balloons.
Behind Pradeep’s change is his brother. His brother, Pradeep said, keeps him engaged all the time. He had been selling the balloon for the last six months.
He said selling the balloon everyday is a challenging task, as he has to keep moving going from place to place.
From an addict himself, Pradeep is ready to comment on those who abuse substances. “They are forgetting that they are losing family, status, employment best friends and end up with nothing except depression and loneliness,” he said about those into drugs.
Getting a little philosophical Pradeep remembers a saying. “What you sow now, so shall you reap later,” he said. “When you have chance to become a better person now, we should grab now or suffer later. The choice is always in our hand.”
From a dark period to adding colours in life
Pradeep, 32, is literally doing it. He sells colourful balloons, mostly with printed cartoon movie characters along the national referral hospital where hundreds visit the hospital everyday.
The balloons are different. The balloons that can fly away amusing children if not held tight. It is not a lucrative business, but Pradeep taking on the business gels well with his life.
A class 12 dropout from Gomtu, Samtse, Pradeep stays with his brother in Changangkha. His story is not as colourful as the balloons he sells. He had been into drugs and alcohol addiction before. He had spent time in rehabilitation in centers in Serbithang, and Siliguri, India. He spent three years recovering from what he calls the dark period in his life.
Pradeep said being a drug and alcohol addict, he didn’t have any vision or aim in life. “All that came to my mind was fun and enjoying every bit of its (drugs) taste,” he said. When he was referred to a rehab, he started thinking “for the first time in life”.
He calls himself clean now. Today his routine is different. He gets up at 7am. He starts filling the balloons with helium gas. By 10 am he is done filling about 40 balloons and hits the road.
Donning his favorite cap and earphones plugged into his ears, Pradeep is visible from afar by his balloons. Each balloon costs Nu 100 and on a good day, he makes around 4,000. A good day is when he return empty handed, selling all the balloons.
“My life has changed,” said Pradeep. “Everybody likes bright colours and I give them that,” he added referring to selling the balloons.
Behind Pradeep’s change is his brother. His brother, Pradeep said, keeps him engaged all the time. He had been selling the balloon for the last six months.
He said selling the balloon everyday is a challenging task, as he has to keep moving going from place to place.
From an addict himself, Pradeep is ready to comment on those who abuse substances. “They are forgetting that they are losing family, status, employment best friends and end up with nothing except depression and loneliness,” he said about those into drugs.
Getting a little philosophical Pradeep remembers a saying. “What you sow now, so shall you reap later,” he said. “When you have chance to become a better person now, we should grab now or suffer later. The choice is always in our hand.”
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