Amid the humdrum of life, there are moments that jolt you. One such moment sprang up on me a few weeks ago and I have been walking with the gravity of it since. I think it’s timely that I share this now, because, sadly, tougher days are ahead.
During a quick stop at my neighbourhood petrol station, a stranger walked up to me. He greeted me, lowered his head and asked, almost in a whisper, “Please could you lend me R12? I’m short to pay for petrol.”
Instinctively, I said, “Sure, let me pay for my items and I will.”
Still somewhat shocked, I saw him turn around, walk outside the shop and give a thumbs up to the petrol attendant. By then, I was done at the till and gave him a R20 note. He thanked me and returned to his car, leaving me with a tornado of emotions.
It could not have been easy for him to approach me, but did he have any other choice? Probably not.
Daily commuting has become stressful with rocketing fuel prices. I think twice, make that thrice, before getting into my car and plan my trips to save petrol. Those memes about petrol offer some relief, but the reality is that this is no laughing matter. In fact, with the expected steep increase in June, businesses, motorists and commuters are crying out government to intervene and offer some reprieve. Others are calling for protests. Coupled with the recent repo rate increase and higher grocery prices, the fuel price hike will weigh down heavily on households.
But, even with our fuel tanks running on almost empty, our hearts should not be. 
Kindness costs nothing. Too often we hesitate to smile at others; too often we are rude and rushing through life. We need to respect that the struggle is real for everyone, albeit at different levels.
I think about the many times I have relied on the generosity of strangers, and realise I simply paid it forward with the stranger at my local petrol station. We may never know what someone is going through. We may never know the pain they are walking around with. We may never know the difference our kindness can make to one person and their world.
Precisely my sentiments…i was recently waiting at the airport to be collected and stood next to a young child and her mom. Without thinking i greeted the little one(theres nothing better than the smile on a child’s face to brighten your day) and her mom responded with” Greet properly dear”. It was so good to know that amidst all the above hurdles, not forgetting covid and crime, people can be kind to one another.
As the quote goes “In a world where you can be anything, be kind”
This is really a very interesting topic to talk about. I’ve learned a lot through this. Thank you for sharing so much words of wisdom