Small things

Living in Chicago for almost 2 years have done good to me in my social, practical, financial aspects. But the most significant change I liked is in my personal aspect. OK to keep it simple lets call them as small things….

With the screeching alarm saved as ‘Daily’ in my cell phone (6:40 AM), I wake up and turn that alarm off and then with 5 min warming up period (Dormant to Dominant) I push my self to bathroom just to be at bus stop at 7:30.

Small thing1: Su: My Bus driver, Su is a cheerful lady and she greets every passenger with her over whelming ‘Good Morning’ and ‘Hello’. The most exiting thing I found about her is more than her job she takes care of her passenger in knowing who get in bus from where, where to stop, she even waits for a min if someone is late and greater than that she maintains newspapers in bus for all passengers. These news papers are free newspapers which she picks from railway station and keep it in bus for passengers. Passengers go through morning news and start their routine. Some people get engaged in solving Sudoku and word puzzles. In this 10 min ride from my home to Railway station, it forms a small social circle of daily commuting passengers and bus driver. If she goes on any vacation people feel something missing from the routine and everyone greets her with smile when she is back.
The small things she does, cheer the air around and that makes difference; isn’t it?

Small thing 2: My share: Many people don’t know the fact that on most of the cold drink bottles, cans there is mark that if you return this can to recycle vendors, they will pay 5 cents for each can. The sole aim was to recycle the plastic, metal to avoid environmental harm. No one cares for that and just throw the cans, bottles in garbage cans. Once traveling in train I was listening to the conversation of a group where a guy mentioned that one of his colleagues actually collects these cans and bottles she uses and then on the way home drops at recycle vendor’s place for no money. She says I am doing my share to save my earth.

Small thing 3: Live Strong: I always liked to have some sort of band in my wrist/hand and once I saw people from Lance Armstrong cancer foundation (www.livestrong.org/) were creating social awareness by distributing yellow color band for each donor. They were also writing donor’s name on a strip of yellow paper and then making a chain of such strips. I stopped there and asked about it. I got the band by donating some money and I am wearing that band today too. Many of my friends asked me about it and how and where can they get that band by donating. Then I thought I could have asked that guy to give me some more bands and then I would have given those to my friends in return of some donations. Collecting this money I would have written a check to the foundation. This was very small thing I could have done but I missed it. Many people around us are always ready to do good just that they don’t find way easily. Next time for sure..

Small thing 4: Smiles: I consider kids smile as one of the Gods most amazing creations. Whenever I see small kids I wave at them saying Hi, Hello and they smile at me (some kids give mysterious, puzzled look). This smile fills my heart with happiness and my belief in the thought ‘Life is Beautiful!!’ just get stronger and stronger. Kids like to interact, play, learn things, know their surrounding and you can contribute for them.

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. - Phyllis Diller