I gave it to her, and said, “This is to thank you from all of us customers.” And she was very happy. Or a cashier, or the person who helps me to bring the shopping out, or anybody. Just to spread kindness. Maybe they don’t need it. Nobody expects anything. Taxi drivers don’t expect so much tip, but I give more. Or I give (vegan) chocolate or cakes, whatever I have with me, just to spread kindness, just to make this world a happier place to live for everyone.
So I said, “It’s OK, you’re a good woman. It’s alright, don’t worry.” So I invited her for a (non-alcoholic) drink and gave her a lot of fruits and (vegan) candies, cakes, cookies, to bring home. And she was always, “Oh, oh, my God, my God, my God...” Very nice! Just to show you how much kindness is lacking in the world.
And same with the driver in another city, or the conductor on the train and all that. He couldn’t believe I paid all that money, even though he said I didn’t need to. But I said, “Before I came in here, I told you that I would take the whole cabin just to be alone for a while, if you have it. And you said yes, but I have to pay, more expensive. I said, ‘Of course,’ and I promised you to pay. So now, I have to pay.” He said, “Ah, You say like that, but it doesn’t matter.” He said like that. I said, “No, no. It’s not ‘it doesn’t matter.’ You have to pay what you have to pay.” Because he’s a Muslim, I said, “Because Allah is looking at you all the time. You have to be correct. You have to do what you must do, even if nobody knows.” He said, “Nobody knows.” I said, “Allah knows.” So, after a while, I said, “Please take it. Help me to be correct.” And later on, after a while, he took it. But he couldn’t believe it. He kept asking me to take it back, because it’s so much money. He said, “It’s very expensive.” I said, “I knew it. I knew it before I entered here, not that you dragged me in, or you cheated me or anything. I knew it. And it’s OK, I have money to pay. If I don’t have, of course I would accept it as God’s gift, but God already gave me the money to pay for it, so I don’t want to take another gift from that.”
Anyway, so just to show you that this lady, she worked here all her life to earn her money, and she met you. Can you imagine how many kinds of people? Because this is a hotel, you meet all kinds of people. But even then, She’s so suspicious! You understand me? She meets all kinds of people! So, that means she has not met kindness. She has not met it. People just come and bargain as much as possible to get a cheap price or whatever. Or treat her like, “OK, I come and pay money – I expect this, I expect that.” Maybe. But they have probably not been kind to her. Maybe not. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so suspicious. If you own a hotel and you see that kind of money, it’s normal, no? If you want to sell a hotel, that’s the kind of money you expect, and that’s the kind of money people would give to you. So why is it so suspicious? For example.
So, it is very difficult for people to live in this world, because kindness is very rare. So, wherever I can, I make people happy. A taxi driver or a bus conductor, with whom I’ll never meet again, If I have some (vegan) chocolate box with me, I would give them some. Or the stewardess on the airplane, if I have (vegan) chocolates, I share some with them. It might not be a lot, because I cannot carry a lot, but just maybe a (vegan) bar, or something like that. Or a cleaner at the airport, I just give them a bar of (vegan) chocolate. If I have a small bar, I give small. If I have big, I give big.
Or the sellers in the shop, I buy some (vegan) chocolates and then return her one box, and they’re all very, very surprised and happy. Can you imagine, nobody ever did that? On Mother’s Day or any day, I just do it any day. Because sometimes my family is big – ten dog-people and ten bird-people, and how many people – sometimes a lot, so I buy a lot sometimes. And she keeps tipping and pushing the things away, and puts it in the bag. It’s very tiring for the arms, do you understand that? The persons who do that all day long, non-stop, in a supermarket. Imagine it’s you. Imagine it, OK? So, I always ask them if their arm is alright, “It’s not too tired? Because you work all day.” She said, “Oh! Nobody ever asked me like that. Of course it’s very tired, but I have to work.” And then I would return to her a box of fanciful (vegan) chocolate, a good one. Or if I don’t have, I’d run back into the shop again and find the (vegan) chocolate counter, buy a good one, the best one I can find.
But decent size, not too big, so that she doesn’t feel too intimidated and worry about the boss. So, I bought just the right size. I gave it to her, and said, “This is to thank you from all of us customers.” And she was very happy. Or a cashier, or the person who helps me to bring the shopping out, or anybody. Just to spread kindness. Maybe they don’t need it. Nobody expects anything. Taxi drivers don’t expect so much tip, but I give more. Or I give (vegan) chocolate or cakes, whatever I have with me, just to spread kindness, just to make this world a happier place to live for everyone.
So, I do that all the time to strangers. This is... some people call it random (acts of) kindness? Yeah, just do it any way you can. It doesn’t have to be expensive. If you don’t have a lot of money, it doesn’t have to be expensive. Just a small bar of (vegan) chocolate, a few (vegan) candies, anything you have. Or if you don’t have, then be very kind and humble, very grateful to them, and say, “Oh, you do a good job. And you are very kind; you are very helpful. I don’t know how to thank you. May God bless you and your family.” Some kind words are also very beautiful. It doesn’t have to be always chocolate. But I also give physical. Kind words – also, and because I can afford it, I give also physical evidence of it. And I say, “Hey, go home and have a tea break with your family later.” Or “Here’s for you, when you have a coffee break, you can share it with your colleagues,” and all that. And they like it very much. Of course, a chocolate is nice.
It’s not just because of kindness only, but (vegan) chocolate, people like, no? Or (vegan) cakes. They like, no? (Yes.) Yeah, people like. So, that is what we should do, because I realize how important it is to be kind to people. It’s very important. It lifts up their life, their day. And then maybe they look back at their job, they say, “It’s not that bad. People appreciate it very much, my job.” Normally he might take it for granted. Stretch it out, stretch it. Stretch your legs out if you want, the ones who can. Put them on the shoulders of the one who stays in front. Put your legs up, they say. Don’t be too tired.
Anyway. Where were we? (Spread kindness.) Yeah. It’s important to be kind to people all the time, all the time. Yes, all the time. Even if sometimes they are grumpy to you. Like, I’d been running from one terminal to another, and finally, I found the real place to check-in. But then there were two or three counters, all saying “business class,” and then one, it said “business and economy” together. So, I thought that’s OK also. I came over, and then she just shut it, walked in. So, I walked back into my line next door, and a man just walked in front of me, and said, “I am before You.” I said, “OK, go ahead, please!” Other customers all saw it! And they were smiling at me, they said, “I saw it!” They said, “I saw it.” I said, “Never mind. I’ve been waiting all afternoon, and wasting many hours already, so, a few more minutes, it won’t hurt me. Let him.”
And then another woman came running, “Are You in a hurry? Are You in a hurry? Can I... can I cut in?” I said, “You can! Please! Please cut in.” And then I said to the man behind me, “I have to be behind you now, because I give my place to this lady. So, I will be behind you.” He said, “No! Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I’m also like You. I don’t care anymore.” So, OK! We became friends after, talking a little bit about weather stuff. Wow! Waiting for three, four hours – so many things to talk about. You know, history of mankind and all that! Anyway, and then afterward, each was reading nonsense in the newspaper and waiting. And it turned out after a while, anyway, the plane didn’t go! Waiting, waiting, waiting... So, the man who cut in front of me, he bumped into me, and he smiled at me. And I smiled at him back. Fine! And later, the airplane returned to the airport anyway. And he passed me by. And I said, “Hey! Why are you in a hurry now?” Yeah, my God! People are just so, so funny, don’t you think? Grown up people are so funny, and they blame the children! Yes, it’s so funny! So, that’s how things are.
People are so used to being competitive. Kill others to live. Even not to kill animal-people, to kill each other. Kill colleagues. Kill fellow passengers, just to walk on. There’s no hurry anywhere! Everybody is going to Wien (Vienna) on that plane, and everybody is waiting. So, he knew I just stepped aside for two seconds! And I stepped back, and he took my place. He said, “No! You are behind me.” I said, “OK, go ahead.” I feel, what a funny world. I mean, I would never do that to my fellow passengers. And there’s no hurry going anywhere. The whole queue is behind you. The plane won’t leave without you, without so many customers. Because we still had time. We had two hours for check-in. And later, we waited many more hours.
I hope this guy learned the lesson. No matter how hurried you are, if you are not going, you’re just not going, baby! That’s that! So much of... pushiness. Pushy, pushing, and then he returned back to where he was – square one! I hope he really learned his lesson now. Actually, I forgot to tell you. When he was smiling at me, I had about five (vegan) bars in my little bag. I gave him one (vegan) bar, just to “revenge” for his unkindness to me. I hope that will sweeten his “temperature” in the future with other passengers and other fellow human beings. I’m sure it will. So, it’s very nice to have some (vegan) chocolate. I don’t know what else, there must be more nicer (vegan) chocolates, but that one was also light, because was wafer.
I can’t afford to carry a lot. I have only a small handbag about this size with all kinds of things in it already. But I always have some (vegan) chocolate; in case I see some crying children, I give it to them. Or some stressed out old woman or something, or complaining customers – I always give them. And yesterday, I lost my sunglasses also, because a girl was crying in emergency there. She was very afraid. She’s teenaged, about 11 years old. And she was crying, crying, and she was so stressed. So I said, “Hey! Look! I have sunglasses. Yeah, put it on yourself, and you see it will become dark, and you don’t see anything anymore. And there will be no problem. No matter, it’s all the same, all dark. You don’t see people crying, jumping, anything!” So she put it on, I said, “Wah! Who is this pretty princess!” Then she smiled, and then everything was better. And she went back to her seat. Yeah, and it was OK. So, that’s the only thing I could give her from my bag at that time, because no more (vegan) chocolates.
I don’t have any fancy things in my bag. But sunglasses, yeah! Teenagers love it. You know, anything! Just put it on. I said, “Oh, this is the latest! It’s very cool!” And she was very happy. That calmed her down, and she went back to her mother, or whoever. Because the stewardess was trying to calm her and put her in their seat and all that. But she wasn’t calm. She kept crying, crying. Not loud, but she was obviously very, very stressed, very worried, very upset. Because of the news that the airplane didn’t go, that the airplane was having trouble and going back to the original airport, and not going back to her home. She was so scared, very, very scared. Ah, man! So, it’s good to have a couple of sunglasses in my bag next time. Chocolate doesn’t last forever. I keep giving, giving.
