This Is What I Love

When I was on the plane from Thailand, I actually found myself a bit excited.I felt like I was returning back home.

As I sat in a coffee shop recently, I watched people go about their lives. A man was celebrating his recent engagement so he was passing out sweets. An employee was reading a newspaper behind the counter. Old friends met and slapped each other on the back. When they had finished their coffee, they argued over who would pay the bill. I heard a father promising to take his kids swimming on the hot summer day.

As I left the coffee shop, I ran into a bicycle that was randomly parked on the sidewalk. This thing was old and rickety. It looked like it was from the 1980's and had seen a lot of miles. Somehow its owner had rigged it to make it stand on its own. I tried and tried to get the bike to stand back up. After a few failed attempts, a man in a turban approached me. He smiled and within two seconds had the bike propped back up. We shared a laugh and I walked on my way.

As different as people are here... they really are about the same. A father. Old friends. A helpful stranger. And this is what I love.