Consider Me Humbled

CUTE MOMENT. Right there.

 

I really must apologize for my last "look at the awesomeness that is my life" post. Sometimes when you find yourself in an extraordinary place you forget that its not about you at all; you are, in fact, just a tourist passing through something that is already extraordinary. Did I feel amazing when the Sox won the World Series in 2004? Yes, yes I did. But I didn't win the game that took the title, only watched it on television.

 

I mean, our life is something pretty crazy but its not the most remarkable. However, we did meet a very remarkable couple thursday night, and I'm still so moved by their deed that it must be shared. I won't tell you their names because I didn't get their permission, but I wish I had.

 

We were sitting down to dinner and drinks at this place called Iron Fairies over on Thong Lor and recognized the familiar accent of American peeps seated next to us. We assumed they were a young couple on their honeymoon or something, but in fact they had an amazing story. The young man had read a book in which the writer was to be the subject of a movie. His life leading up to the point of the movie was so commonplace that the filmmakers decided to embellish his history just a bit. The young man we met was struck by the fact that most of the life-changing events that we focus on, such as changing jobs, buying a car, or taking a vacation, are so common and make little impact on the world we live in. He was afraid of looking back on his life one day and seeing nothing that enriched himself or others. So at the age of 25 or 26, he sagely set out to change that. He looked at a map of the world and randomly selected the country of Thailand, and then chose an orphanage to sponsor.

 

Over the next sixteen months, he and his friend raised over one million Baht to donate to this orphanage. Just because. And the purpose of their trip was to finally set foot in the orphanage, and present that gift to the children. And then continue with his life, probably to punctuate it again from time to time with more selfless acts.

 

As we sat and listened, I noticed he didn't ask for more contributions. His task was complete. And he didn't boast about his deed. He was already fulfilled. And I felt a little embarrassed that I had been so engaged with my own 'extraordinary life' that I forgot exactly what role I played within it.

 

And I will always have faith in humankind, because we happened, on just another ordinary date night, to sit next to two of the most selfless people I have ever met.