Category Archives: Connection

What price a life?

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Was in a city the other day which had a major disruption due to a person threatening to jump from a tall building.  Multiple police cars, 2 fire trucks, 2 ambulance, streets cordoned off…

I heard someone say that that’s a lot of effort to go to for someone who wants to jump.

And rightly so – a life is precious.

Reminds me of the frightened man huddling with a shotgun on a city street described so well by Mitch Albom in Have a Little Faith.  That particular man went to lead an amazing life, focused on others and caring for those forgotten by the system.

You just never can tell, can you?

Christmas cynicism or business and social opportunity?

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Got this from eBay…

________________________________

Dear xyz,

We all get gifts that just aren’t right, it could be the size, the colour, or the gift itself. This year, leave your gifts in the shrink wrap.

From 8 – 9 January 2011, you can list your Brand New unwanted gifts for FREE starting at 99c or less.

Use the money you make to buy yourself a Brand New gift that you really want.

Clever you!

________________________________

Wow – how cynical is that?

Then again, I hear that the cost of unwanted Christmas presents is estimated to be in the billions…Maybe there’s something better that could be done with these though?

- give them away to charity

- create an exchange for people to swap things

- create a way for people to find out and get something more meaningful from the start (seems obvious)

- combine them all together…

There’s a business that I think would take off…

What do you think?

Fiaz

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Cab drivers are amazing.  People are amazing.

How often do you just stop and listen to someone’s story?  Incredible what you can learn.  Incredible how grateful you can become.

Fiaz?

He was originally from Pakistan.  Though he’s been in Australia since I was 8.  Merchant Sailor in his 20s – via a stint in Greece.  His brother with him was terribly sea sick – very skinny and sickly because he just couldn’t handle the sea.  They jumped ship in Australia and headed to another city to seek his fortune.

Secured himself two jobs within a day, but then could not get anywhere to live because he had no ID.

He and his brother decided to go back on the ship – they grabbed a cab to head to the train station.  Little did they know how life changing that would be.

His brother, dejected at the thought of facing the ocean again shed a tear in the taxi.  John, the kind Greek cab driver asked them what was up.  They could speak Greek (but not much English) so they could explain.

He took them home, and put them up in his house and then a purpose built bungalow for 4 years.  They’ve been lifelong friends ever since.

John had come to Australia in the same way – jumped ship.  Same problem with accomodation in his day.

Today fiaz has two very well educated children working in respected high earning professions.  I sensed he doesn’t have to drive a cab, but I think he likes it.

Amazing stuff.  There’s more, but you get the gist.

[Photo credit: NYCArthur]