Size up the facts first.

Taken from The Sunday Star, 15th August 2004.
Sent in by Thanavalli Rajaretnam.

One fine day, a bus driver went to the garage, started his vehicle, and drove off along his usual route. no problems at the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and the ride was smooth.

At the next stop, however, a hulk guy got on. Six-foot-eight, built like a wrestler, arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, "Big John doesn't pay!" and sat down at the back of the bus.

Did I mention that the driver was five-three, and quite meek? Naturally, he didn't argue with Big John, but he wasn't happy about his getting a free ride.

The next day, the same thing happened: Big John got on the bus, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. He did the same the next day, and the one after, and so forth. This grated on the driver, who started losing sleep over the way his passenger was taking advantage of him.

Finally, he could not take it any longer. He signed up for body-building courses, karate, judo, the whole works. By the end of the summer, the driver had become quite strong. On top of that, he felt really good about himself.

The following Monday, when Big John got on the bus and said, "Big John doesn't pay!", the driver stood up, glared back at his passenger, and screamed, "And why not?"

With a surprised look on his face, the burly man replied, "Big John has a bus pass."

Make sure there really is a problem first, before you start working hard to solve it.

'Blind' Devotion.

Taken from The Sunday Star, 27th June 2004.
Sent in by Abner Francis.

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel her way down the aisle, found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.

It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind. Due to medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark.

Mark was an army officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.

Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job. But how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.

At first, this comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, he realised the arrangement wasn't working. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he told himself. But she was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react?

Just as he had feared, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again.

"I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Mark's heart broke to hear those words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening, he would ride the bus with her for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it.

And that was exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was now and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus driver who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.

Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus-riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, patience and love. She said good-bye and, for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus as usual. As she was about to get off, the driver said: "Boy, I sure do envy you." Susan wasn't sure if he was speaking to her. After all, who on earth would envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year?

Curious, she asked him, "Why do you say that you envy me?"

"It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are."

Susan had no idea what he was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?"

The driver answered: "You know every morning for the past week, a fine-looking gentleman in military uniform has been standing across the corner, watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and waits until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."

Although Susan couldn't see Mark, she had always felt his presence. She realised he had given her a gift she didn't need to see to believe: the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.