11 dollar mark

"Thank you for flying with United today. The current temperature in Chicago is 0 degrees." Ouch.

I turned my cellphone on and within 10 seconds I received a call from my sister. While I was in mid-transit, my grandmother had died. Double blow.

I waited 30 minutes for my suitcase. I was cranky and felt horribly alone. I plopped into the next available cab, which happened to be a minivan. The cab driver was a personable Indian who had a nicer cell phone than I did. The traffic was stagnant and I knew I was locked in for the long haul. In cab situations I don't tend to be much of a talker but I kept making eye contact with him in the rear view mirror and since he led, I had nothing else to do other than follow.

Without any hesitation he proclaimed that he is the happiest he's ever been in his entire life. Although unsolicited, I felt obligated to inquire why.

"Let me tell you Miss... when I came here I was 20 years old and I had 11 dollars in my pocket. God has blessed me Miss."

He then proceeded to go into a tale that began in India where his mother would cut an apple into 12 pieces: 1 for herself, 1 for his father, 1 for his grandfather, 2 for his grandmothers (his grandfather had 2 wives) and 7 for each child. His journey brought him to America through varying odd jobs and eventually his story caught up to his present.

"So you see Miss... as long as I have more than 11 dollars in my pocket, I am blessed."

Being the ever-skeptic, I started to wonder if he was doing this to bump up his tip.

There was some brief silence that was interrupted with another story about his sister. She had married a man that had a nasty habit of chewing loudly with no consideration for anyone around him. They were at a party and people began to notice and laugh, which horribly embarrassed her. She was afraid to say something to him because her husband was not a kind man. So his advice to her was this:

"She must make him a private meal. Make him his favorite dishes and when he starts with the [smack smack smack] she must tell him that they are partners and that they are here to protect each other. And that his loud chewing draws attention not only to him but to her as well. You see Miss, you cannot bend steel with a fist. You must bend steel with slow, steady heat."

(wow)

Eventually the cabbie turned his attention to me and the current status of my love life. He advised me that, "Women here give themselves away too easily. You must make a man work to be with you, if he is to truly value you. Do not pick a partner for the physical beauty. Pick someone who can know you on this inside because it is the inner beauty where you will find happiness."

After 2 hours of sitting in traffic we finally reached my destination and I did not have enough cash to pay the cab fare in it entirety. So I told him I could tip him in cash but I would need to put the rest on my credit card. He turned to me and asked how much cash I did have and I told him, "Thirty-seven dollars."

And he replied, "Then that is all you owe me."

I insisted that I put it on my credit card and tip him in cash and he countered with, "And a million times I tell you no."

In the two hours I spent with him, this guy managed to break my skepticism and really got me thinking... What's the point in my life that I measure my life's happiness against? What's my 11 dollar mark? And will I recognize it when I surpass it?