A Surprise
As usual, I was having a hard time on the main street in Hamilton, New Zealand. Being repeatedly rejected is something I can get used to, and I practice this skill on days like these. After about six hours in the same spot I was ready to call it a day, even though there was an affluent young couple approaching on an otherwise empty street. Despite all of the convincing arguments presented in my mind I decided to try stopping them with my usual line, "Are you guys local, or outta town?" Immediately after saying this I remembered that I had tried to stop them earlier in the day. In fact, they were the first persons to give me the cold shoulder and now, hours later, it just so happened that my two feet were in the exact same position and I was using the exact same line. They angrily responded, "We've already told you, no! Do you stand here all day doing this?!" Somehow I was able to counter their offensive with a snappy comeback, a witty remark, and a rushed presentation of the Bhagavad Gita. As it turns out, they were very interested in the subject matter and paid for the book with much enthusiasm. We went our separate ways as new-found friends, but they followed me back to my book box a few minutes later to give another 20 dollars out of appreciation for our hard work, and for patiently tolerating their harsh behaviour. In Lord Caitanya's sankirtan movement it's sometimes hard to tell who is the most fortunate!
Your Servant,
Yasodeva Das
