About courtesy, respect and good manners

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Me, snuggler and the kids hit trail 5 in Islamabad last Sunday. It was tough but it was fun. I am used to lots of walking and jogging but wasn’t sure if snuggler or kids would be able to keep up. They did surprise me, in 2.5 hours we reached the top (Pir Sohawa), had a small lunch and were ready for descent, 30 minutes later. I realized it was late, and we would be on track with darkness around us. With the car parked “down there” it was either walk to it or hire a cab. Walking was out, and cabs weren’t there. At least none near us, so we started walking the road. Snuggler got worried, so did the kids, but somehow I was confident help will reach us, as many cars sped by without looking at us. Just then an elderly man stopped and offered us a ride. He took us to the trail 5 parking and that’s how we reached home in time. Snuggler thought I knew the man, which off course I didn’t and hence this post….

“What goes around, comes around”

I was waiting for my turn at an office sitting on a bench, my papers and files were beside me and sitting next to me was another man waiting his turn. The room was full of people waiting their turns. In walked an elderly man with his kids, with no space on the benches to sit, the man stood in a corner. I picked up my flies, put them in my lap and offered him a seat, which he did take.

After few minutes, in walked a lady with two kids. Finding no place to sit they stood in a corner, the chivalrous in me woke up and I offered her my seat. The man next to me did the same, the lady and her kids sat while we stood waiting our turns.

A few days before that, I was going to the office, the security checking was in progress and my queue was held while cars honked their horns. As I reached the spot where it was a held, a military officer was sitting in his car, looking perplexed, I parked in front of his car, went to him. He asked me for a screw driver, fished it out form my car and gave it to him. Five or six minutes later he had his car running, we went our ways waving each other.

So by now you must have guessed, what I mean to say. If you help people, people will help you. I think its nature’s way, “What goes around, comes around”. That man who stopped and offered us a ride was a total stranger, the person whom I offered a seat was no acquaintance either, nor was the lady we offered our seats to, and not the officer who’s car was dead right in the middle of the road. I could quote countless such instances, but the purpose is not to brag about it. Its that I want to ramble about why we hesitate to help others, if its as small as offering a chair, stopping to let a pedestrian pass the road, giving a smile, giving a free ride, shaking someone’s hand or just offering help?

It seems as if everyone is in a hurry. Hit the road and you will realize what I am meaning to say. So I told snuggler the man who offered us a ride wasn’t my friend or acquaintance, it was just a random act of kindness coming back to me. And I have a strong faith in this philosophy, you help a stranger and someone will help you for sure! Give it a try