I just got done with a big week, I sold a stock in YHOO, I was getting a long with my family, my friends and I were hanging out a lot, I made a lot of new friends and my girlfriend and I had a beautiful dinner planned the weekend ahead.
Later that evening I was on my way home as I was mesmerized by a stunning sunset, one that captured my attention and got me thinking.
I felt an aw for life. Life is beautiful. I had everything I ever wanted. Literally. I have a great retail job with awesome colleagues, enough money in my account to sustain my education plans, I had all the materialistinc things I've always wanted, just thinking forward, life was great. For me.
Rewind a couple hours...
Morning
I awoke for school like i'd normally would. Eyes open, stocks app open. I check my shares at a glance, put my phone away, freshen up and eat breakfast. On my way to school. I was waiting at the bus stop where I noticed a man in his late 30's frantically going through his folder full of papers of some sort. He looked nervous, as if he was going to a job interview. He did also look a little sloppy.I mind my business, and I don't care how others live, so I just wait for my bus like i'd normally would.
"What time is it boss?" he asked me
As I told him the time, he asked frantically, "did the bus leave?"
"No" I said. "It will be here in 1 minute".
"Thank you"
So we get on the bus and hes just panicing silently, going through his papers like hes late to a meeting and forgot his suit and morning coffee.
Whatever, its nothing huge. I get to school, everything is cool, the day went normal.
Evening
As I go to my normal commute home from school, I come across the same guy waiting for the same bus going towards the same location, near my house. It was at this point where I saw the sunset and felt great.I struck up a conversation with him.
"hey, you remember me?" I said.
"No who are you?" he asked very surprised, as if I was going to shoot him. He looked like he did a crime.
"I gave you the timing for the bus this morning haha"
"Yes! Yes! I have had a rough day buddy. What is your name?"
I'm not going to go through dialogue, this isn't a novel. To cut to the chase, his day consisted of his first day on the job as a man who cleans old people's apartments. He had to bus to random houses (or clients) to clean and scrub away all day. I said that's cool, so d you like what you do? He said no. He hates it, but you gotta do what you gotta do to survive I guess.
He explained to me how he was in this situation he is in now throughout the bus ride home. At the last few stops, his boss called his phone. He pulled out a flip phone, and instead of clicking answer, he clicked speaker phone.
He put his phone to his ear like anyone would, but I don't think he realized it was on speaker. It was his boss asking him if he will be coming in or not. Apparently he completely forgot that he had to drop off the checks at his manager's office. He said sorry boss, but I am very tired and am headed home.
I can already tell he was kind of fucked up in the head. Mentally wise. I mean, God bless the man, but he was mentally challenged, just a little bit. He was speaking very loudly in the bus, too.
Coffee
We get off the bus, and I point towards a restaurant nearby and ask him if he'd like a bite to eat on me. He was like "What? Really? What are you sent by God?" I laughed and brought him in. He ordered a poutine and an orange juice. Before we even got the food, he finished his orange juice. I got us both coffee. We got our food. We had deep conversations...
He told me you're young. Don't ever do anything stupid. Anything you ever think of, whether that'd be getting into drugs, partying late at night, theft, vandalism, anything will come back and get you in the future. Its like karma's older brother. You cause harm to something in life, it will come and get you back. The situation he is in now is because of small bad decisions that snowballed to what he is now. Everything shapes who you are. Everything.
He made a choice once to go to a bar with his new friends with a fake ID once. He got drunk, and enjoyed it. Did it again the next week. And again. Eventually, he was 20, dropped out, and was doing drugs every week with those same friends.
"It's crazy how going to a bar for a night can fuck up your whole life like that" he said.
I learned some crazy things about the man. One, he has a kid. And two, his mother has 20,000$ in her bank account for him for good measure. Its locked up. And will only be given to him if one, his mother is dead, or two, to make good use of it like putting it towards a business.
Speaking of business, he pitched me his cleaning company that he plans on making. He says he wants to buy a truck and name it Tony's Cleaning Services. He was telling me how the equipment necessary is not even expensive and how he knows a lot of clients that will pay him. He says eventually he wants to open a legal business and own a nice mid-tier level house with a gorgeous wife and be able to sustain future kids.
Key to Happiness
Don't stress the little things in life, he told me. Everything is planned for you by God. He has already planned for you to be rich or poor, and you shoud go with the path the wind takes you. Do not force youself to become a doctor if you do not like it. Do not force yourself to work hard and hard to be rich. Because in the end, you won't be happy since it was not your destined path. Go with the flow, and don't sweat the little things in life. If you end up poor, don't worry. It was meant to happen, and whats comforting is that you would not be as happy if you were rich.That's mainly what he taught me.
A lot else went into this conversation, but i'd like to keep that for private memory.
If there is one thing you would walk away with after reading this, its that never waste your time. Everything counts. Every little bad decision will come back in life to haunt you in the future. Live humble. Live happy. Enjoy life.