What I Learned from a Simple Garbage Man
Lessons from going through other people’s trash.
In Indonesia, our garbage isn’t taken away by advanced trucks with built-in compactors. There’s no money in the budget for that; either it’s being used to fund our elites’ trip abroad or something obscure in Parliament. Instead, we have these — if I were permitted to use the derogatory term — “coolies”. These guys haul a wagon through the streets of cities in search of trash and other things people throw away.
So, my family was doing some spring cleaning. We had all these old textbooks from my elementary school days and much more. Because it’s practically impossible to hold a garage sale here, we decided to give them to one of these garbage men. We invited him inside the house with his wagon so that he could go through my stuff. He was a regular at our house; whenever we needed something gone, we called him. He was an old man, probably nearing his 60s, yet he could still haul a loaded wagon. I noticed something about him: he always had this bright smile on his face. As he sorted through the textbooks, I tried talking to him.
“Why do you seem happy, going through trash like this?”
I’m an old, uneducated man, son. I can’t do anything else but collect trash from other people and selling them. It’s not much money, but at least it keeps my family fed. Besides, I make an honest living and I can feed my family. For that alone, I am grateful. Other folk don’t have it so lucky. Also sometimes, I find things that I need but can’t afford in the trash. Why, just the other day, a fellow threw out an old TV that still works. And thanks to you, I can now give my kids new books. So, what’s there not to be happy about?
“But don’t you want more? For a better life?”
He chuckled. I’m already grateful for what I have, son. Life is not always about having a new motorbike, a big house, or whatever it is that they show on TV these days. I am completely happy with my life as it is. I get free exercise pulling around my wagon all day; you folk pay to go to the gym! I get to wake up early and go home whenever I feel like it; you have to stay at the office from 9 to 5. At night, I can relax with my family, even though we live in a run-down house. If I had more, I wouldn’t be able to manage my life!
After that very short talk, he was finished sorting my garbage. He gave a blue bill to my mom and walked away with his wagon. I felt that he had taught me an important life lesson that is to remain positive in life and be grateful for the small things.
I know this kind of advice is totally cliche in the world we live. But hearing it first-hand from a person that’s (supposedly) way down on the social ladder made it resonate more. Thank you, garbage man, for unintentionally teaching me a life lesson.
