I was sitting at Maccas
chomping
on a cheeseburger
reading
what the Buddha had to say
on Generosity:
how it benefits both the giver and receiver
when this aboriginal woman
came up to me and said,
have you got two dollars. For chips?
Sure, I said,
digging deep,
pulling out a coin I plonked
in her hand.
Gee thanks, she said,
It’s my birthday today. I’m 29.
Lucky you. I said. Have a good one
and go easy on those chips.
She beamed me a smile
big as Uluru
& I knew what the Buddha meant.
John Malone 
Wow, this was quite beautifully written, and the lesson about kindness and generosity was rather well placed! I simply loved it! 😊😊😊
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thank you; it was still fresh in my mind when I wrote it: Maccas is a strange place to achieve enlightenment I guess but it just goes to show you can find enlightenment anywhere 🙂
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Excellent John, and who wouldn’t want a smile as big as Uluru! 😊
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it was a gorgeous smile, Hobbo; I thought it a fit comparison 🙂
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👍
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Gorgeous, John, in every aspect. 🙂
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thank you, Worms: it means a lot 🙂
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Not only is this a wonderful poem, with some wise words from Buddha, but I found out (and I had to look this up) that Australians call McDonald’s Maccas.
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Lol; yes us Aussies have a way with words 🙂
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This touches the heart. It certainly benefits the giver and receiver. Feels like some good karma or a step towards nirvana.
Yes, any place is a good one. Smiles are worth millions. 🙂
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thanks Terveen; glad you enjoyed it; it came from the heart; the things that can happen at Maccas 🙂
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Maccas…sounds like an Arabic word. 🙂
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Magic!
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magic can happen in the most mundane of places, even Macca’s 🙂
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oh, this made my heart so happy –
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glad of that, Beth 🙂
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A wonderful lesson learned and executed, and in return rewarded with a warm hearted smile. Well done John.
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thanks Elle 🙂
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You’re welcome.
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I’m going to play the naysayer.
I’ve been financially very low in my life and that has hardened my heart to panhandlers — especially girl panhandlers, who you just KNOW are going to outdo the male version by about 3:2 or a higher ratio even than that.
So no. Give no money to them. Sorry John. *raised hands* Just my call.
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fair enough: I respect your opinion; I’ve spent time in the US and found panhandling is more prevalent there than here — so a hardening of attitude is understandable —
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This one is great! The Buddha surely was right about being generous to people, their happy and smiling responses sure makes it worthwhile!
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thank you: I enjoyed your comment: it made me happy popping up in the middle of a dismal day 🙂
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I’ve heard variations on “Can you spare some, change, dollars, or a bit coin so I can get something to eat?” But I was coming out of the supermarket and a girl got the pitch slightly wrong. Somehow I decided to try something that had failed in the past when I had no money: I said “I have a loaf of bread and a bag of potato chips. Would you like either of these.” She said she’d have the potato chips. I guess she thought she was going to get a lecture or something, so she said “For me?”. I said yes, and she had such a wonderful glowing smile that I knew she would enjoy such a giant bag of joy as much as I do when I have no guilt, but only the sensual pleasure of eating the forbidden. Some smiles are transcendent and magical somehow…
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I like that technique, Doug; I may carry a small bag of potato chips when I go out in the world just in case 🙂
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You were both blessed indeed, John!
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it sure felt that way 🙂
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