By Frank M.Gashumba
One Saturday, I move to attend a concert of a friend. As it’s a norm at many events today, the ushers lead me to a certain table. On the same table, there were two quite smartly dressed and young looking girls to who I just said helo for the start.
As the event went on, we talked a few times especially with the one that was right next to me as her friend was slightly far and just as people seated together on such a function. A long the way, I bought them quite a few drinks just to make them enjoy themselves as young people . Tick tak tick tak, time moved and it was my time to leave which I did leaving the two girls enjoying their evening WITHOUT EXCHANGING CONTACTS, yes we didn’t exchange contacts irrespective of how we talked and got a long throughout the event.
Since that day, I never ever met this young lady again. I believed she was intelligent from the discussion we had at the party.
A few weeks back, I was stuck. Something serious was really bothering me, I knew no one that would help sort it out. As I discussed the same stambling block with a friend, he said he knew someone that would sort it with ease. So we set out to meet and talk to that someone that was to fix this for me.
On arrival of the person who was to sort this, I saw a young looking, very casually dressed, maybe because it was a Sunday and tiny girl but; it never even crossed my mind for a second that I had met or even ever seen this human being. We talked, explained what my problem was and yes she promised to help out, which she did btw in the next few hours.
With how much I was thankful, I asked the same friend of mine who found me the “fixer ” to invite her for a cup of coffee as a sign of appreciation to which she said yes. So we meet at one of the hangouts in Kampala and sip on some coffee as I said out my appreciation speech hahaha
In the middle of the talk, she pulled out her phone and showed me a photo that was taken of the three of us while at that concert. I just couldn’t figure out. I looked at the photo, looked at her closely again and again. I couldn’t believe how small this world is. She said to me “Frank, I helped you because when we sat at the table together, you respected us, you were humble and you were such a great company and I even remember you buying us drinks ”
“What shocked us is that you bought us drinks and left without even asking us to exchange contacts, you see these Kampala men, he will buy you one bottle of 3000 and from that he wants you to go sleep at his house, when you left, both me and my friend were equally shocked, this is unheard of in Kampala men ” She narrated with a clearly still surprised face
1000 questions run through my mind at that moment and the days after. These included; What if I had underlooked, undermined or despised this young girl ? What if I didn’t say helo and start a conversation throughout the whole event like many do because of pride? What if I didn’t become humble? What if I treated her like trash?
While all these questions were running through my mind, I was star struck, was just quiet, looking on and thinking how many lessons life could throw to you to learn. I went mute for about 5 minutes.
She then added “If you had treated us badly like some people, I wouldn’t even dare to help you in any way ”
She also said since that day, she stopped judging people from what social media says about them because I had proved otherwise with my humility. At this point, I froze… From that day, I renewed my promise of never underestimating anyone irrespective of their age, financial status, colour, tribe or even anything.
Also, to those of you who think you have it all, it doesn’t cost you anything when you go to Cafe Javas and give that toilet cleaner 5000 or even 10,000. This might save their day.
Greeting those cleaners you find in banks as you go to withdraw your millions, those waitresses that serve you food and askaris won’t reduce your money by even 1%,
You may as well just give them a word of encouragement, it works as well; just be humble.
Morale of this story : Being humble won’t cost you a single thing about you, greeting a cleaner will not take anything away from your life and; Never, never, never and never under look anyone because this world is sooooo small for anyone to be a stranger.
Gashumba is a Social entrepreneur, Motivational speaker & Human Rights Activist.
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