Just when I thought I'd leave the two rest days I had blogless, God catches you by surprise by giving something to think, and more importantly blog, about.
It's about taxi drivers. I wouldn't know how they are where you live in particular, but let it be known that some of them are pretty cool.
One was driving the taxi named Zondag. Don't ask me what that's for. Way way back during the days I was living in the cramped space turned personal 'Mecca' (A.K.A. Brent) I was fortunate to employ the services of this taxi on a few occasions. The driver was an old guy with so much in his head, apparently very educated, and he was one of the many people who taught me those often spurned lessons in life that I personally do not recall verbatim, instead practice unconsciously nowadays.
Every now and then since that time I needed a cab I was hoping to see this taxi again to tell the driver how I've been; the unconscious longing was a futile hope to lean on... Until today. I just got home from work taking the Zondag taxi. It was a different driver, but it was still good to find out that the dude I talked to long ago was still alive and kicking. I gave the driver a tip and told him to give my regards to Daniel.
I recall there was this other driver, Tito, driving the taxi with plate number AYN 636. Cool dude. He was living proof that the people in his same profession have the benefit of talking to all sorts of people. See, what happened was I was waiting for a taxi to get home after going to the gym. There was a female employee in the Club in the same waiting shed who I assumed was waiting for a jeep. Tito comes around, drops a lady near the waiting shed and proceeds to turn the car around to get back into the road. I hail the taxi. The bastard brakes in a position where the waiting woman and I would walk the same distance to the front seat. I wasn't exactly in a noble mood, and I hopped into the taxi before the woman did.
I tell Tito where I'm going. A few seconds after the taxi moved, he told me that I should have seen the look on the woman's face. I told him I honestly did not think that she was waiting for a taxi. What he told me was amazing. First, he told me that I flagged him down first. Then, he proceeded to tell me that if I wait for a ride there regularly, and if I see the same woman, then I should not just let her get a ride first, but to open the door too.
Isn't that something. Who would have thought that a taxi driver would teach me some manners?
I tipped him too. Gladly. Didn't want to make the same assumption I did with Sir Daniel: That I may see him again.
That's one thing, huh? We can say that we should live every day like the last, but do we ever think that we should treat everyone we meet every day like it was the last time we would see them?
It's a matter of discretion. People like Tito and Daniel are commercials between the Iron Chef episode with Life as the theme ingredient. It just seems like a sad majority of us miss out on the pleasant 5-minute discussions they might get from people they don't know about.
Being nice always has its benefits, no? It's tough to do, but you never know. God Bless You.