Wisdom from a Cab Driver

It was a rainy Tuesday morning. I was running late. I needed to get to the office on time. I hailed a cab.

As soon as I got in, I noticed a pleasant looking old man was taking over the wheel. He let out a big smile and I smiled back. I rode the cab with three others. Normally I would have taken out my i-pod and stick the earphones in my ears and click on my "on-the-road" playlist. But this time I was intrigued by the driver. I'm not much of a talker that early in the morning and I don't usually engage in conversations with total strangers (a habit my mom and dad taught me early on in life ). But I was, I guess, awed.

At first they were talking politics, a topic I am not particularly keen on. And then they talked about how expensive gasoline is nowadays. And then the talk veered towards family. I was not a participant to the conversation, I was just listening. I was taking in what the old man was saying.

He said when he was much much younger he worked his butt off just to ensure that all his five children got good education. Not having finished any formal education himself he wanted more for his children. He said it was more of a mission for him and his wife. He goes on to say, "When you take good care of your children and ensure that they have a good future ahead of them, you have somehow ensured your retirement." I was a little skeptical about that. He continued on, "All my children are now professionals they have families of their own but they have good jobs. And each time they visit me, they thank me for giving them a future." Wow! I thought to myself. "Now, I drive just to pass the time. It gets a little boring when you're done doing the "big" stuff."

"Discipline," he says "has a lot to do with it. Being proud of what you do and doing it with honesty and dignity. Nowadays, there are a lot of things that keep the family apart. Television, computers, cellphones, games. When I was younger", he says, "we only had books and our family to keep us busy. Focus on more important things, that was what it taught me", he says. Then I saw him look at me through the rearview mirrow, "You know, work is just work...a means to make a life. Don't let it rule your life." Our eyes met and I thought those words were meant for me and for me only. Gosh! Was I that transparent?

We arrived at the office. We paid the driver and gave a good tip. For the words of wisdom he imparted. =) I know I heard or read those words before but somehow having it delivered that way makes a lot of difference. That was some taxi ride don't you think?

We are one big family of people, trying to make our way through the unfolding puzzle of life. We are all connected to one another in the heart. Connecting with the ultimate source of love is possible through discovering the hidden power in your heart. ~ Sara Paddison, Hidden Power of the Heart

Comments

Impressionist said…
hey im done with my exams! :)
doing posts again! :0
surjit singh said…
Yes, I fully agree.I somehow tread the same line of action when I was young and now leading a comfortable retired life.
Thanks Lisa, for sharing a good post.
God bless.
Sameera Ansari said…
That was a great message indeed,from one beautiful person to another :)

How true,we all ARE linked in this circle of life.Glad I happened to meet you during this journey.Have a great week ahead dear.Hugs
DreamCatcher said…
good!! this post is perfect for u..this has been what i m telling u for so long..dont work rule u..chillaxx ;) he he..

dont knw y buut this reminded me of movie "if only"
SusieJ said…
Sometimes I think people like that are really angels in disguise. There is so much power out there... What a great message. Susiej
Rashi said…
hey this was pretty..

nice experience being here, and the msg conveyed is nice too...

seems to be a place worth visiting more and frequent..
Sophiagurl said…
@@@Jeevy - and it was a good post! I envy you for being on vacation...and having nights of NOT EXACTLY partyin ;p

@@@Surjit - thank you, I hope someday I will be able to retire comfortably like you Surjit. God bless!

@@@Sameera - ohhh (blush)thanks dear. I am sure am glad to "meet" you too. Take Care and God bless you always!

@@@DreamCatcher - haha easier said than done I guess lil brother. But I'll try my best to chill out specially during the holidays. Hugggs. Hope you feel better now.

If only? hmmm, probably because of the cab driver hahaha =)

@@@SusieJ - thanks Susie it was a simple yet compelling message. Hope you're doing great. Take Care.

@@@Rashi - the pleasure is all mine =) thank you for being here and hope to see you again soon.
Anonymous said…
lovely reading the post...sometimes we get some real meaningful words from people whom we least expect...very nice!
louann said…
I totally agree with SusieJ. And what a pleasant surprise to hear such so early n the morning.
Anonymous said…
This post is armed w/ beautiful reminders :) ..

I don't know about you but I used to be the slave of my works. I have tendency of that - and may always be.

My hubby has told me numerous times that he couldn't imagine me working now. Perhaps I'd find excuses to run from other life priorities .. a possibility that may become a fact

Btw, I'm still 'here' .. will take my break from blogging next week as I still have to do 2 more postssss ..

Blessings and hugssss to you :)
~ Annita at Footprints
cotojo said…
Hi Lisa,
Wonderful story....and maybe it was meant for you - and many others. For those with children it is important to give them the knowledge they need to succeed, but by the same token, work, although important, is not something that should rule the individual. Children ARE the future, they are the ones who will be shaping this world in years to come.
What alovely thing to hear first thing in the morning though.
Have a wonderful day,
huggs to you.
Colin
Jeya Anand said…
Thats an interesting post....Sometimes i do see people's mind transparent...and wish to talk abt it...But being a reserved and shy guy...I end up with myself...:)

take care...I am done with some exams...some more on the way...:)But I love exams:)
Sophiagurl said…
@@@Kalyan - agree, or it could also be that there were sent our way so that we may get that important message. Thank you=)

@@@Louann - yeah it was really good to have those positive thoughts early in the morning, it somehow sets the mood for the rest of the day. =)Happy Holidays!

@@@Annita - Hi annita, will hop on over and check out your latest posts. Well, we could sometimes be a little workaholic... an inate trait of a mom, I guess hahaha. Happy Holidays!

@@@Colin - you are right my friend, our children are the future leaders of the world...it's our role to prepare them and arm them with love and affection and education.

Hey, your birthday's up tomorrow. What are you cooking for us? =)

@@@Jeya - I completely agree with you Jattz, being reserved and shy myself I suffered the same dilemna. But being a doctor someday, I am pretty sure you'd be talking to a lot of patients and people. Have a great day! =)

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