Sunday, August 21, 2005
The little things in life.
It's all the little things in life that makes the difference. It's the details that matter.
It's all the unexpected little sparkles in life that are bestowed upon you that's the most significant and inspiring.
I remember one particular day when I was feeling totally mooped, I was just feeling so weighed down. Then as I was walking pass this vending machine with Sharifah, this fellow popped out and offered me a can of Pepsi. He went, "Do you want this? The machine gave me an extra." I was pleasantly surprised, I accepted that magnificent gift with a thanks and a smile.
The guy could have just kept that can of Pepsi, he did not have any obligation whatsoever to give that drink away. Even if he didn't want it he could've simply left it on the vending machine or some shit. But instead he took the effort to offer it to some complete stranger. I was stoked, and it made my day. All my troubles seemed to alleviate, the weight in my heart vanished. Just like that, and I was all smiles again.
Then there was that time when I saw this old guy who was begging for money. I was impressed by how he was still so jovial. He was smiling and sincerely thanking each and every person that donated. Let's face it, that guy's dying soon, he's a beggar, his life's most probably a really tough one, but yet he's still so positive. I loved that shining and benign smile of his, I donated.
Manners and politeness is critical and of the utmost importance. It denotes respect. I remembered with crystal clarity how this old ice-cream man was so polite and courteous. Damn, I was impressed. He made my day too.
This morning I went to the coffee shop for breakfast. I went to order my beloved curry mutton from the indian store. The indian guy that was serving me was as jolly as he was darkskinned. He rambled on to me about how good the mutton is today, he informed me in his jerky, disjointed English that the mutton was "very gud", "hot hot" and "just come from the fire." His command of the language is apparently lacking. But the fact remains that he attempted to tell me all that stuff, despite the difficulty that he was facing trying to express himself in English. Once again, I was impressed. I was impressed by his attitude, by his friendliness and his enthusiasm for his craft, his cooking. He took pride in his work. And damn, the mutton curry tasted better this time.
It does not take much to make someone's day. You don't need huge expensive presents to cheer someone up. All that is required is some respect, humility and smiles.
But of cause, some people are luckier. Like me for instance, for I have this wonderful girl by my side who makes me smile whenever I'm down. Cheers.
