A Worthy Ticket

When I was in Berlin I met many different people. People of different age and different heritage. Some of them were old friends, others were people I've never met before. I spent many hours with them, I learned their names and got to listen to their stories. Some of them became new friends, others I will never see again in my life. And before I left, I met one more. Out of pure chance, and just for a few seconds.

When I walked out of the train station at the airport, there was a man asking people for their old tickets. At first I just walked by, mechanically repeating his words in my head. Then I registered them and went back. I gave him my one-day ticket which was valid until three o'clock that night. For me it was worthless, now that I was leaving, but for him it was worth a few coins, perhaps a warm meal, at least a cup of coffee. 

He looked at me and said 'thank you'. He smiled. And I believed him. Appreciation is a big deal. Whether it's in an old friendship, a new encounter, or just a brief moment. Appreciation of what? Of everything. Of life. Of every single day. And why do I think it's so important? Because I think that we tend to forget too easily. Because I think that we like to complain. And because I think that we often take things for granted.