Ahmad Fadli . com

First and third Wednesday evening is the regular meeting day of the Toastmaster club that I belong to.

Today on the way to the meeting, I decided to have dinner at NS Nasi Kandar .

When I was parking my bike, the parking attendant who is looking after the car in the area came to move the bike next to mine to enable me to park my bike easier.

And he walked away just like that while telling me ” Tonight have to watch football. Brazil against Zimbabwe. Friendly match”.

I was surprised. He did not have the usual vibe of a sleazy parking attendant. A sleazy parking attendant who will scratch your car if you don’t pay them for looking after your car that is parked in their ‘area’.

And I could sense that he was helping me for the sole purpose of making my life a little easier. How many “parking attendants” with such a great heart can you find nowadays?

I took my dinner and I walked to my bike. In my head, I was thinking to myself  “This guy is a nice guy. I should give him some money to make him happy. But how much? And will he feel insulted ”

In the end, I gave RM1 to him.

But on my way to the Toastmaster meeting, I felt like it was too little. I should have given him at least RM5.

After all, he went out of his way to make my life a little bit easier for a little while.

Plus, my Law of Attraction (Steve Pavlina version) says if I want to get more, I should be ready to give more.

Then only the nature will be in equilibrium.

Sometimes, this question of how much is too much and how little is too little seems to be quite complicated too.

If you are served by a great waiter in a restaurant, the rule of thumb says you should tip at least 15 percent.

But this kind of random act of kindness. How should you do it?

Pay it forward? Pay it back to the person?

What do you think?

6 rangkap pantun di bawah telah saya sampaikan di Sudut Pemidato Penang pada 30 Mei 2010.

Dua rangkap pertama dipinjam dari buku Kurik Kundi Merah Saga terbitan DBP.

Apa guna pergi ke bendang,

Kalau tidak bertanam padi,

Apa guna senjata disandang,

Kalau tidak berani mati

Pergi ke kedai membeli arang,

Bawa dapur memasak kerang,

Apa guna birumu garang,

Kalau tidak menjaga orang

Wiraku berbaju biru,

Sukarnya menjadi dirimu,

Lindung negeri dari seteru,

Tegak kebenaran dedah yang tipu

Wiraku berbaju biru,

Kurangkan buat sekatan had laju,

Kurangkan tembak secara melulu,

Lebih-lebihkan tangkap yang perlu

Wiraku berbaju biru,

Sajak ini dengarnya lucu,

Mungkin sinis menusuk kalbu,

Ada juga macam sajak tak laku

Namun wiraku berbaju biru,

Kami tetap percaya padamu,

Kami akan tetap bayar cukai untuk bayar gajimu,

Don’t worry we still believe in you !