What I learnt from a taxi driver

I was recently traveling to Manila via Delhi and I happened to hire a cab owned by a man named Khan. I am friendly by nature and started to talk to him. I happened to tell him that I’ve been to Europe once and he said, “Yes, it’s a nice place”. I was taken aback, a taxi driver from Delhi has been to Europe!!!

Then I came to know that he was from Gujrat and was an importer of some commodities from Europe. He lost everything in the Gujrat earthquake and came to Delhi with his family to start afresh. He did not get a penny from his “friends”. I had a talk with him for over an hour and he told me how he had to struggle to come over it. That one hour conversation taught me those things that I would not have learnt at any stage in my formal education.

Sometimes when you have it all you tend to take everything for granted. Money has a very close ally, arrogance. He taught me the virtue of being down to earth and to live every moment as it comes. I would like to quote his words here. “As I was driving the rented taxi on the first day, tears were running down my eyes. I was so uncertain about the future. I never thought something like this could ever happen to me.”

Think of it, a millionaire today and bankrupt tomorrow. Strange things can happen in life.