July 23rd, 2009 by TNM

You know some times we get caught up in our own lives, and the head aches, we get so absorbed it seems and sometimes things don’t go right and things …well they just suck!

Or do they?

I was reminded of how fortunate I am today, and in reality…my so called “troubles” could be more or less laughed at …and I was reminded in a very brutal manner.

While I was cursing because things weren’t going just my way…, a man was searching for a meal.

I had to pay my cellular bill here in Kuwait it was for me a normal bill about 200 dollars but that includes Black-Berry service and full data, my black berry is my life line over here, I’m addicted to it, I think my ear is about to mold itself to it.

Well as luck would have it, My Visa card was getting declined by the bank, and there was something up with the ATM machines over here as well, so I couldn’t get cash, and I was VERY Frustrated when a simple 30 minute errand turned into a 4 plus hour ordeal.

Did I mention it was like an oven over here today? 118 degrees. And I’m like some crazed American out running around in it.

Well after a few tries, and not getting my card to go through, I told the person waiting on me I would come back, I went out to my truck, started the engine and cranked on the AC, got my trusted black berry and called my credit card issuer, I immediately got put on hold. There’s a shocker!! I was cursing a blue streak as sweat ran down my face, wishing that the AC would work a little harder, and well pretty much at this point, miserable.

As I waited for my credit card company to stop telling me how very important my call was and how they would be right with me..(yeah right this is costing me a cool 3 dollars a minute so I’m getting even more agitated) a man approached my car, obviously the man was a worker from somewhere, I don’t know where, he was dressed in a dirty jumpsuit, and had the traditional head covering the red checked ones they wear, they are called something but the name escapes me …but he sort of smiled and paused.

Timidly he waved through the glass, annoyed and thinking he was trying to mooch a cigarette I hit my power window button and said “can I help you”? And he smiled but sort of with this hang dog look …with this look that could be only described as humbleness, And he motioned to his mouth, then to his stomach. He asked “Sir Please” ?

And It dawned on me, he was panhandling. Of all the dumb luck I get hit by a panhandler! That’s a new one to me, I have never saw it before in Kuwait. Over here the Kuwaiti’s have pretty strict laws against such things, so if he was out there panhandling he was taking a pretty big risk, but none the less I grabbed my wallet, sadly…I had exactly half a Dinar in there, less than 2 bucks in American, remember the ATMS are down so I am flat broke…and I handed it to him.

His eyes lit up and he smiled and I noticed he had few teeth left those he did have were looking pretty bad. His face was lined and seamed with age, But his eyes were filled with gratitude and when he smiled, it was from the heart, you would have thought I handed him 10 times that amount.

He bowed slightly and said “Shukran Habib, Salam Alukum. It roughly translated means “thank you my friend god bless you”. And he shuffled off.

I hit my window switch, and as I watched him in the side view mirror walking in the blasting heat…it dawned on me….here I am in my Brand new company provided SUV with the A/C blasting, I’ve got a 400 dollar phone, 10,000 dollars worth of recent dental work in my yap, I’m 10 lbs north of where the he*l I should be in the weight department, & I’ll solve this “problem” with a simple phone call, I’ll go pay my bill, and I will go home to my rather large 2 bedroom 3 bath flat with one person to live in it and cook dinner, whatever I feel like having (it turned out to be pizza night as they have domino’s right around the corner and THEY take visa too…make that 11 lbs north…* Burp* and after the day I had, well mark it up to you have to pick your battles ;-p )

And yet here I am cursing my life, railing at the pain in the butt credit card companies, frustrated because I cant pay a 200 dollar bill….While this old man works to just get enough together to feed himself??

Somewhere tonight In Kuwait is an old man, with just a few teeth, he’s got years and ages of a very hard life etched in his face, but when he smiles his heart sings through his eyes…. maybe he has someplace to go to out of the brutal heat, maybe he doesn’t, and maybe my pittance I gave him at least got him something in his belly for the evening…..I sure hope so.

So tell me; How Tough is your life today??