Note for readers — Based upon an actual conversation

My job often requires me to travel, and this gives me an opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life.

During one of my assignments, I happened to visit an engineering plant in South East Asia. After my discussion with the client, I was planning to go back, I thought I should get some packed food for the journey. There was a cheap food counter nearby —primarily meant for all the construction workers and maintenance contractors. Usually, when you visit any such plant, there is a separate pantry for all the white collar employees — but I was not bothered by it. The irony here is that the high end pantry often sells highly expensive food at a subsidized price to the high earning employees, while the daily wage workers have no such luxury.

While I was standing in the queue for the food counter, there was a worker standing in front of me. It looked as if he had just finished his morning shift and had come for lunch. He was average height, dark in colour and was relatively healthy. Imagine any hard working immigrant worker you have seen — poverty has only one face.

We both must have been working since morning, but here I was standing with my off white shirt just the way it was in the morning, and the expensive perfume whose fragrance has still not faded. And as far as he was concerned, I could smell the combined scent of oil and sweat from his body, testament to the hard work he must have been doing in the field. His uniform was dark red in color with patches of black grease all over it.

While I was still deep in my thoughts, the person just turned back — may be due to the scent of my perfume. He realized the foul scent coming from his body, and tried to take a step away — but I looked at him, passed an ever pleasing smile, and nodded my head, indicating, “Hello”.

I may not have the most charming face, but maybe there is something in it which makes people feel comfortable to talk to me.

The worker smiled back and I saw the name on his coverall, “Jagtar”. Soon we started talking, and I was curious to know about his background, and how he ended up here. Jagtar, without any hesitation, started sharing the very personal details of his life. He was not able to speak fluent English, but good enough for us to have a meaningful conversation.

“I am originally from Pakistan. I came here in 2011, when a relative of mine — who was already working here — helped me get here. Back in Pakistan, I have a family to feed — a wife and a son who is 18 year old now. If I go back to Pakistan, there is very less pay and I can only earn $200 per month. At least here I earn $1200 per month. I spend very cautiously on my living here so that I can save maximum money for my family.”

As he was sharing, his eyes widened and face got animated, showing that he was also taking keen interest in our conversation. Realizing that he was comfortable with me asking him all this personal details, I continued with the conversation.

“I do not send money home every month, but only once I have saved $3000 — so that my family also feels that I have sent a substantial amount. If I send smaller amount every month, they would feel I am not sending enough money.”, said Jagtar with a grin smile on his face — at least he knows how to manage his family’s expectations.

“I have been here for almost 11 years and working with the same company. My first salary was $600. You know, now I am a Supervisor! I do not have to work as hard as it used to be, but have 6 people under me whom I advise.” said Jagtar with a feeling of pride, and his hands became even more animated while he was saying this.

“I have also saved a lot of money, and have bought a plot for my home in my country. You know, I have bought 100 grams of Gold as an investment. Now I am planning to get my son educated. He is already 18, and I am planning to bring him here to study in the college. He can do hotel management here, and can get a job.”

All the while he was saying this, there was a broad smile on his face. There was satisfaction, there was gratitude, and then there was a sense of achievement.

The lunch queue continued to progress, and soon it was his turn to order. He got five packed lunches for himself and his co-workers.

As Jagtar was about to leave, he looked back, smiled and bowed as a sign of gratitude. I bowed back with a hand on my chest, and said with a broad smile, “You are a nice man Jagtar. God be with you.”

As Jagtar was leaving, I did not know what my first reaction was.

Was it a feeling of sadness about his working condition, or an elated feeling that he was so happy and content? That less than five minute conversation with Jagtar gave me lots to ponder about my own life.

I. I realized how important it is to talk to people from all walks of life.

That small conversation with Jagtar taught me life lessons that many motivational speakers and life coaches have not been able to teach. He might be an uneducated laborer, but he surely knew a thing or two about life. That conversation was more enlightening than my conversations with highly intellectual office colleagues and friends.

Each person does see the world in a different way. There is not a single, unifying, objective truth. We’re all limited by our perspective. — Siri Hustvedt

II. Gratitude does not always come with money or success. It comes from within.

As I write this article, I am staying alone in my 3 BHK condominium whose rent is equivalent to 3 months salary of Jagtar. The amount of gold he has saved is probably not even a month salary for me. I have absolutely no right to complain about anything in my life.

Even with all the luxuries that I have and all the adversities Jagtar was facing, he had a broader smile on his face. He was definitely the more content one!

III. Be proud of your achievements, however small they might be. After all, they are 100% yours.

If I happen to meet Bill Gates today, would I dare tell him, “You know what, Mr. Bill Gates, I have a 1000 followers on Medium!”. The thought itself makes me smile, but Jagtar was doing exactly the same.

He was not comparing his success with mine, but with his own self — from where he started, where he has reached today, and what does he intend to achieve in the future. Everyone has a different journey, and life does not necessarily gives the same starting point to everybody.

We should not let anyone’s success be a parameter for our own self. Just because someone else is more successful, it does not mean that we have not worked hard enough in our life. Our achievements, however small they might be, are 100% our own and we should absolutely own them, and feel proud about them.

As I continue to think about my small interaction with Jagtar, I am so glad that I had this conversation. Maybe one of the good things that came out of this business visit 😃.

Please share your thoughts if you have had any such interesting conversation with a stranger and what did you learn from it. 👏are optional, but they sure make us happy.
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