Day 124k: Amour with the Afghanis … (August 31, 2019)
I was comfortable enough at the closed library, and yet staying the night there somehow didn’t feel Right, so I rose after a time and ambled onward along my way as the darkness began to descend in earnest. And indeed the darkness soon descended in full as I walked onward into the night – eventually seeing a strip mall by the side of the road. I was quite thirsty again by this time, so I headed into a kebap house and asked for some water, and yet the employees of the establishment were less than thrilled with my presence and less than enamored by my Walk. So I went outside and sat on a bench and was going to rest for a bit before walking onward when a car pulled up beside me and the woman inside (it turned out her name was Umarah) sweetly said “Sir, do you need any help? You look so tired.” I smiled and explained that I was indeed tired and yet that everything was OK; that I was simply walking a Peace Pilgrimage and was resting a bit there before walking onward. And then, without even the slightest hint of hesitation, she offered to buy me dinner from the very same kebap house (that actually happened to be an Afghanistanian restaurant) that had rejected my request for water just a few minutes before (!!!) … I thanked her profusely for her kindness, and after she departed sat in the restaurant for quite awhile slowly savoring the delicious meal of Afghani vegetables and rice and bread, and gently exuding gratitude to the service staff there (who originally didn’t quite know what to do with said kindness, and yet by the end had begun to respond to me in kind) …
“The true Human Being recognizes that although everyone has different abilities and looks and beliefs, everyone is also equally valuable as a sentient being. The Human Being also recognizes that trying to impress and keep others happy, in order to be popular or gain any other personal advantage, is not a moral basis for living life. The Human Being believes that all we can do is our best, and that our best is always possible to do. The Human Being also believes that the values that count in life are not based on looks or achievements or possessions or social status, but rather are based solely on the higher principles of honesty and kindness and compassion and generosity.” ~ inspired by Steve Peters
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