A few days ago, I was at a 99 Speedmart waiting to check out. In front of me was a man trying to pay for several bags of all-purpose flour. He looked like he might have been a wait-staff from one of the nearby mamak restaurants.
While I
waited, I overheard him apologizing to the cashier, saying he only had RM12 –
apparently not enough to cover the items he had chosen. The cashier didn’t look
pleased. She glanced sharply at him and repeated, “You only have RM12?” Then
she muttered something under her breath, tapped the register keys, and pulled
out her phone – possibly to call a supervisor or get a code to cancel the
order.
The man
pushed back two bags of flour. It looked like he only had RM10 in hand. I
quietly asked how much more he needed. He showed me his money – one RM10 bill
and two RM1s – and said he was short by RM2.
I checked my
wallet and happened to have three RM1 bills. I handed him two. He hesitated for
a moment and asked how he could pay me back. I told him not to worry about it.
He accepted the money and handed it to the cashier.
She glanced
at me, almost as if to ask, “Are you sure?” I nodded, and she resumed
processing the transaction.
The man
thanked me again – a few times – and even asked if I’d stop by the restaurant
where he works so he could return the money. I assured him it really wasn’t
necessary. It wasn’t a big deal. I paid for my own items, and that was that.
I’ve seen many
videos like this on social media with strangers quietly stepping in to help
someone else in line. And here I was, with the chance to do the same. Not
because I’m a saint and certainly not because I’m trying to be Mother Teresa. But
just … because I could. And in that moment, RM2 really wasn’t that much of a
deal to me – but that’s the thing because it clearly meant something to him.
If I’m
completely honest, I wasn’t thinking of those videos in that moment. And I
certainly wasn’t gleeful to have a chance to “do good.” Part of me just wanted
to move things along. I was in a bit of a rush and figured, if RM2 helped him
settle his bill so I could pay mine, why not?
Maybe that
sounds self-serving. But here’s the thing: even when we don’t act from a
perfectly noble place, a small gesture can still mean a lot to someone else.
And that counts too.
I did find
myself hoping I hadn’t come across as condescending when I said, “It’s no big
deal.” Because for someone else, even RM1 might be a big deal. We just never
know.
That moment
stayed with me. It reminded me that, despite the ups and downs in our lives,
there’s still so much we can be grateful for. So many “little” things we take
for granted – not out of arrogance or a
sense of entitlement, but simply because they’ve become so common, so normal.
We forget how much of a privilege that really is.
Today, I just
want to remind myself of the many things I may have come to take for granted.
Family
members and friends – some I may not see often, some I may not always feel
fully “in sync” with – but they’re there. Maybe not always beside me, but
always with me.
The aches and
pains that show up now and then … but also the strength and health that allow
me to do what I love, to keep going, to live this life.
I may not
always get the food I’m craving at any given moment, but I never go hungry.
There’s always something – and often, more than enough.
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