Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I wished I could do something that would change all of their lives for the better, but I
knew that I did have the power to change one life, and in that transformation, I hoped that
many more might be touched.
When Dheeru and I returned to his home, I asked him, “What about renting your rick-
shaw? How much is that a day?”
“Rickshaw rent is 300 rupees a day,” he replied. I quickly did the math and realized that
was about $10 a day. Dheeru thought about it and added, “And uh, 200 rupees for the fuel.”
“So it costs you 500 rupees a day?” I confirmed with him.
He wobbled his head, making me wonder whether it was a yes or a no, but then he ex-
plained, “After 500 rupees, I make goes in my pocket.”
“So how much do you make on average?” I probed
“On average, 800 rupees, but then I pay owner of rickshaw.”
“And the fuel,” I finished his sentence.
There was so little left for them and yet here they were, cooking me dinner, offering me
one of their few mats to sleep on. Inviting me into the web of kindness.
Later, as I lay my head down to sleep in one of the poorest parts of the world, I felt a
richness pervade my soul. India had not been what I dreamed it would be, but sometimes
our dreams are limiting. Who needs tigers when you have love?
As the sun rose on the slums of this small part of India, I convened an impromptu family
meeting, during which I planned to let Dheeru and his family in on my secret. “You see,”
I explained. “This journey is all about kindness. It's all about the generosity of the human
spirit. That's why I started this journey, and that's why I find myself here with you. Having
spent the night in your home, having spent the night with your whole family, I feel very,
very welcome. And for that, I am truly grateful.”
“This is our culture,” explained Dheeru. “You are now part of our family.”
He reached out and grabbed hold of my hand, and I felt it. I was a part of his family, just
as he had quickly become a part of mine, joining Willy and Tony and Anna and Mehmet
in the growing group of brothers and sisters who had become the heart of this journey. In
many ways, I was a boy raised in the wild. I didn't understand the ways of those around me,
and I always felt like I didn't belong in the concrete jungle of money and business deals
and exceedingly good manners. Maybe a part of me belonged in India, long before I ever
had the chance to meet her. I wobbled my head back at Dheeru, not even realizing I had
already picked up the habit.
