Empathy

One night, after work, I stop off at a fast food restaurant in the area of Bintaro. Quiet atmosphere. Outside the rain. All have been put waitress. Restaurant would close. But may I see your face miserably because of hunger, one of them gave command to still serve. In fact, if you want, they can only refuse.

I started to eat while observing the activities of a restaurant waitress. There is the money, resemble cooking equipment, floors and swab some are clean and tidy tables are disordered.

I imagine their life routines such as that from day to day. During this time it is my escape from the attention. Honestly, if accompany children to eat at fast food restaurants such as this, I will not be too hirau their existence. As between them and have no. They were there when I need help and they serasa no fun if I eat food too.

But that night I could see something like this is not visible. I see how clean the restaurant waitress leftover food on the table. The actual normal-normal saja. But, perhaps because of that night that my eyes see, is a special scene.

See the rest of the food piles up in one of the tables are cleared, I wonder in the heart: what is actually just a dining table in it? If viewed from the leftover food into that, it seems that large entourage. But the attention is how I was leaving the group of former waste food.

Surely the menjijikan. Bone-bone chicken straggle on the table. In fact there are cardboard boxes that can be trashed. Rice here and there. Not under the gutter tables also by gross spillage-crumb crumb. May bring the group of children.

Table is like a farm slaughter. Into bones. I do not think out how they are so into tega leave garbage like that. No thought given to how the remnants of food menjijikan must be cleaned by someone, even though he was even a waitress.

Since that night I decided to discard their own food if the rest of the dining at such restaurants. I also ask that children do the same. Initially not easy. Before this, I also had to do it. But doing that would be my burlesque friends. I spelled be quasi-westerner. Sok had to show abroad. Because in many countries, especially in Europe and America, already plural subscribers to remove their own food to the rest of the trash. Servant limited because of labor costs.

Actually not too difficult to clean the remains of our food. Living ago summarize them in the trash. Just take a few minutes. A small act. But if all people do so, means will be huge for a restaurant waitress.

I once read a book about small acts that have great meaning. Including the story of a father who invites his son to clean up trash in an empty land in the complex their home. Because of the complex each day to see the father and son clean up garbage in there, take a long time for their heart's shell in the trash there.

Later all residents even moved to follow the father and the edges become housing environment clean and healthy. But no one said any of these fathers. There are no slogans, umbul-umbul, especially with a banner or baliho. He just gave pattern. Pattern of a small impact.

I also never read the story about the power of smile. If only everyone gave a little smile to most people who dijumpainya one day, then the impact will be amazing .. People will get a smile felt happier. He will then smiled at the others who dijumpainya. So on, so that smile before widespread to many people. But home is only the beginning of one person who smiled.

Inspired by a story in a book "Chiken Soup", I often pay the toll ticket for the car behind me. No matter who in the background. Because of the story in the book, the person behind me will get the feel of surprises. A fun surprise. If he was happy that day, the day that he will make a beautiful virus spread happiness to the people he met that day. I hope that the virus can spread to many people.

Imagine if you give a sincere compliment for at least one person every day. Praise that will give a chain effect that when people praised you feel happy and happiness transmit the virus to people in surrounding areas.

My child is in elementary school always remind me if I forget to say the words "thank you" when the toll road ticket and money to give change. According to him, the words "thank you" is the "magic words" that will make other people happy. So also the word "please" when we ask the assistance of others, for example, our domestic workers.

Previously I often angry if there is public transport, for example, bus, microbus, bajaj, angkot wishes or steal the car. Until one day my wife that I must remind berempati them. The public is driving the vehicle must struggle to pursue deposit. "While you do not pursue a deposit?''Advice that my wife is from a deceased Romo Mangunwijaya any posts. Since that time, if there is a common vehicle grab seenak udelnya, I immediately remember his wife's advice.

I imagine, how beautiful our lives if we can make other people happy. Would menyenangkannya if we can berempati the feelings of others. How happy when we realize the rest of the food we throw in the fast food restaurants, we have lightened restaurant waitress job.

So also does not remove the toll gate so only after paying, we have lightened the burden of cleaning staff. By not carelessly dispose of chewing gum, we have to avoid people feeling annoyed because of the shoes or the wrong celananya sticky gum.

We often claim to the nation's high berbudaya but how many of us that while in public places, when opening the door, and menahannya briefly turn to guard if there are other people behind us? I often see people who opened the door just so ago without releasing the matter behind hit by the door.

If we want, many small things we can do. This is not to burden our means but large for others. Start of the things small. Start from yourself first. Start now.