i wAS mOVING aROUND iN aN aUTORIKSHAW tODAY iN CHENNAI. mANY oF yOU mAY bE aWARE tHAT CHENNAI hAS A bURNING hOT cLIMATE tHESE dAYS. i wAS dRINKING wATER fROM A mINERAL wATER bOTTLE & fOR d sAKE oF hUMANITY I oFFERED iT tO tHE aUTORIKSHAW dRIVER tOO tHINKING tHAT hE tOO mIGHT bE tHIRSTY. hE dENIED wITH A sMILE. aFTER A sECOND hE rEPLIED, "sIR yOU rEALLY hAVE A bIG hEART." fEELING a lITTLE cONFUSED i aSKED hIM wHAT hE mEANT. hE sAID, "I aM dRIVING sINCE aLMOST lAST 15 yEARS nOW. pEOPLE cOME iN wITH wHAT nOT iN mY rIKSHAW - bURGERS, sWEETS, pASTRIES, cOLD dRINKS, eTC. aND wATER fOR sURE. bUT nONE eVEN cARED hOW I wOULD fEEL iF tHEY eAT tHOSE tHINGS sITTING rIGHT aT tHE bACK wITH aLL tHE sMELL tRAVELLING rIGHT tHROUGH mY nOSE tO mY sTOMACH. tHROUGHOUT mY cAREER oF dRIVING, yOU hAVE bEEN tHE fIRST pERSON, wHO fELT tHAT eVEN I cOULD bE tHIRSTY iN sUCH hIGH tEMPERATURES. GOD BLESS YOU."
hOW hAPPY mAKING aND hONORING tHAT sTATEMENT wAS. hOW sATISFYING wAS tHAT iNDEED. rEALLY. iT gAVE mE A fEELING, aREN'T tHESE sMALL rEASONS, GOD hAS kEPT mE aLIVE fOR.
tHIS iS A lITTLE sTRANGE tOO. 'cOZ gENERALLY aUTORIKSHAW dRIVERS aRE rUDE, mANNERLESS aND rASCALS iN CHENNAI. bUT tHIS oNE wAS rEALLY gENEROUS, vERY kIND. aT lEAST, hE aCKNOWLEDGED sOMETHING.
wHAT lESSON I wOULD sHARE fROM tHIS iNCIDENT iS tHAT iF yOU tRY dOING tHESE sMALL tHINGS fOR oTHERS, yOU'LL rEALIZE wHAT sELF-sATISFACTION mEANS. i jUST cANNOT mENTION iT iN wORDS. yOU'LL hAVE tO eXPERIENCE iT fOR yOURSELF.
wE aLL lIVE fOR oURSELVES. tRY lIVING fOR oTHERS, jUST oNCE. dO iT fOR A dAY, fOR A mOMENT (oTHER tHAN fOR yOUR bOYFRIEND/gIRLFRIEND oFCOURSE ;) ) aND sEE wHAT yOUR lIFE eVOLVES iNTO.
sPREAD sMILE... sPREAD lOVE
