"Thank you, M'am"

   I love to engage taxi drivers. They almost always seem to be from somewhere else. The young man who driving the cab I eventually got into was from Pakistan, the Swat Valley. I don't really know much about his country, but I've heard that this is a very beautiful place, and quite a tourist destination. I said how ironic it is that he left a tourist destination to work in a tourist destination. He let me know that he couldn't earn enough at home to support his whole family: wife, 1 child, parents, sister. Women don't work where he is from, and his little girl is only 2. He told me that he works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week driving a cab: 5 pm - 5 am. For this, maybe he gets to go home every 1 1/2 or 2 years, and stay for around 40 days. He said, 'this is no life.' I asked him if he thought his family appreciated his efforts to support them, and the sacrifices he made to do it. His answer was that there was no choice. I offered that most people are willing to go to great lengths to help the people we love, but that feeling appreciated makes it easier. We shared a laugh about that, acknowledging that no-one feels 'too appreciated.' I reflected that it must be strange for him to be living in a place of such great wealth, and his answer surprised me. He said that most of the people didn't seem happy. They have more problems, and so many needs. He did acknowledge that they have an easier time getting their basic needs met, which makes their life a little easier. There is no end to human suffering.
     I told him that I am here teaching yoga teachers. He said, "Oh, yoga, I can't do that. It's so hard!" I agreed that it's 'hard,' but that he could do it, just to whatever extent possible. That yoga isn't really about contorting your body into strange shapes, but ultimately about finding happiness in life, just as it is, regardless of your external circumstances. It made me wonder if this would be possible for this young man.
     Confronting reality can be so painful. As an optimistic person, I'm always looking for the bright side. But seeing his plight, and seeing no way out, how on Earth could I genuinely help this person? Maybe asking him about his life and listening to his answer and feeling some of his burden helps to lighten his load. Maybe smiling and being kind and interested and valuing him as a human being helps. When we got to my apartment he said that this was a very nice neighborhood, very expensive place to live. It is a very lovely neighborhood, quite safe and beautiful. It's not ritzy, but to him, it probably looks like heaven. It made my heart break that there is no way he could even aspire to the level of luxury that I take for granted. How must it be for him to see and feel and know that? How could anyone make sense of this? Who is born where and under what circumstances, and why? How can I take credit for anything I've ever done, when I have the privilege of being born in relative affluence? I grew up rather poor by American standards, but by worldly standards, I am among the richest on Earth. How could I ever complain about anything?
     Getting out of his cab, I offered a 30% tip, saying, "I don't know what might be able to change for you in your life, but I hope you can find some happiness. He said, "thank you, m'am."