Choose kindness and compassion

Yesterday, I booked a Grab to get to the office for a workshop. I scheduled it 40 minutes before the call time, as it would only take me 30 minutes to reach the office, even accounting for moderate traffic. I was familiar with the traffic patterns at that time of day, so I was confident it wouldn’t be too heavy.

"If you're early, you're wasting your time. If you're late, you're wasting others' time. So, be on time."

That is  principle I learned from my CAT training in high school. Since then, I strive to be punctual and avoid causing any delays.

When the Grab car arrived, everything went as usual. I greeted the driver, settled comfortably into the seat, and we were on our way.

During the ride, the driver asked if we should take the expressway. I agreed and instructed him to add the toll fee to the total fare. He nodded, or at least I thought we had agreed. To my dismay, he bypassed the first entrance to the expressway. When I reminded him, he said the app was re-routing us to a route with lesser travel time and assured me he would take the next entrance. However, he missed that one as well, and we continued to travel on routes with multiple stoplights, causing delays. It was already 8:50 a.m., and my call time was 9:00.

I began to feel that he had no intention of taking the expressway and that we would be stuck at stoplights, causing further delays. I tried to remain calm, but the situation was getting into my nerves. I explained that we should have taken the expressway.

“Ma'am, inilayo po tayo sa traffic kasi may red kanina sa expressway,” he insisted.

“Kuya, sinabi ko po kanina na mag-expressway tayo. Mas traffic pong magbayan-bayan,” I replied, maintaining a composed but frustrated tone.

When we finally reached the toll gate for the expressway, I noticed he had only 60 pesos on his RFID card. Perhaps he thought it wouldn’t be enough to cover the toll fee. My frustration eased somewhat as I realized he might not have had extra cash. He should have informed me so that I could cover it.

I arrived at the office at 9:15 a.m., and yes, I was late.

I knew the driver sensed my frustration.

“Kuya, salamat. Pasensya na po at ingat po kayo.”  

I said as I got out of the car. I wanted him to know that even though I was frustrated, I understood his situation without needing him to explain it.

“Okay lang po, Ma'am. Pasensya na rin po. Salamat,” he responded. His mood seemed lighter, and I left the car feeling at peace.

Sometimes, it’s easier to feel frustrated, get annoyed, and become angry when things don’t go our way or don’t turn out as planned. It’s much simpler to blame others, especially when we believe we’ve done our part and that nothing is wrong on our end. 

It’s easy to point fingers at others for the delays and inconveniences that arise. But little do we realize, these delays, mishaps, or inconveniences might actually be protecting us from something. A friend once told me that perhaps the reason I was rerouted was because my guardian angel was actively working to protect me from harm. Or maybe these situations are teaching us important lessons, lessons in understanding, kindness, patience, and grace under pressure, as well as compassion in the most inconvenient of circumstances.

What happened yesterday was indeed a test of character. Had I dwelled on my frustration, I might have been in a bad mood all day, blaming those around me. 

Yesterday also reminded me that there are always two sides to every story, different points of view. It’s not always about me. The people around us have their reasons, just as everything happens for a reason. So, whatever the reason for yesterday, whether it was my guardian angel protecting me or the universe teaching me a lesson, I will remind myself to always choose kindness and compassion.