Stories of Kindness from Around the World

I realize that we all live in a world where mutual trust is in short supply. Seems like everywhere I go, I have to prove my identity and trustworthiness - whether it's a bank, shop or any office. I have been conditioned to live by the rule that, no one is trustworthy unless proves otherwise. I need proof for everything.

Yesterday I saw a young man who lived by a totally different set of rules.

I was walking along a busy intersection. I had just gotten out of  a crowded ATM to take out some money. I was very careful to make sure no one was standing  behind me or  was looking over my shoulder not even  too close to me to be able to see what I was typing into the ATM machine. I came out into the street and noticed a young man standing near the pedestrian crossing selling toys and trinkets.

Normally I would ignore and hurry past such vendors before being approached to buy something. But I noticed this young man was blind, so I stood for some time without crossing the street, to see how he sold his trinkets.

Soon, a young mother with a small child came by and the little child was fascinated by one of the toys which made a squeaky noise. The young mother asked for the price and it was only one dollar, the young mom pulled out a 10 dollar note from her purse and told the young man, she was giving him 10 dollars and wanted the change back. I was wondering how he was going to do it. He told the young mom to put the money in the pouch which was hanging around his neck and take out whatever change he owed her. She then put her hand into the pouch and took out the balance while I was watching her like a hawk.

I realized that this young man's whole mode of earning depended on trusting people not to cheat him. There was no way of him knowing if someone took out more out of his pouch of earning. I was so touched by how this young blind man trusted people that I took a toy from him which I did not need.

He said it cost a dollar and I too told him that I had only 10 dollars. He told me to do the same thing. So I put my 10 dollars in his pouch put my hand in but did not take any change. I hope he finds that he has more money than he should when he gets home. As I walked down the street I saw another kid with his father walking so I gave him the little toy. I walked on hoping that two people would have a smile on their face that day.

I kept thinking the world would be a better place if we could all learn to trust people more, like the young blind street vendor of trinkets.