Wow! Yet another challenging day and meeting another few hundred first time faces. Right from a pan handler to the driver at the traffic light, the store keeper at a grocery and to the CEO and to a customer.
Expressions, body language, interactions and sometimes just a friendly smile. Attitude, respect, knowledge. You get to pick up one or more of these in our everyday lives.
Networking sites are a wonderful medium for interactions and I have had the privilege of getting introduced to some very wonderful individuals.
The other day, I took a rickshaw back home. In a few minutes, the driver & I got chatty. Our conversations though were limited to inflation and inflation hit this man really hard. A father of two, a son of ailing parents, a cancer diagnosed wife and two rented rickshaws (the owner would give a rickshaw for only 8hrs) were the factors that forced the driver start his day at 5.30AM and end at 12.00AM with in between visits to his shanty to check on his folks. He managed to make Rs.1500 a day of which Rs. 400 would go as rent to the Rickshaw owners, Rs.100 to a local municipal goon as protection money. Rs.500 towards medicine, Rs 100 for his children.
The driver yet smiled and laughed at his state of affairs...he coined it "Karma". He continued, "this is my duty, if I don't this for my family, who will? My customers are my god; it’s for them that I am able to take care of my family. Everybody has some stress or the other, it depends on individual how big or small they make that"
I was moved. Very foolishly, offered financial help only to have the offer turned down.
I paid the fare for the travel and got off. Something hit me, hit me hard. A man with the world crashing down, has just refused to give up hard work, honesty and the best ever smiling.
Folks, I realize it is easier said than done, however, whenever you think you are encountering a bad patch, just think of this rickshaw driver, hopefully your problems are not really bad.
Continue to fight, learn, pray and never forget to SMILE.
