Whilst traveling in the back of a taxi cab on my way to Melbourne airport, I had an unusual encounter. Having just finished a speaking engagement, I was feeling pretty tired, and didn’t have much energy to engage in conversation.

Besides, the taxi driver that had picked me up for my hour long trip to the airport had initially made me feel a little uncomfortable. Was it his attire, I wondered? A large turban on his head, an enormous beard which seemed to cover most of his face, and in his hand, a rather long set of beads which he continually rubbed as he drove!

We traveled quietly for the first half of the trip until we hit the traffic around Melbourne. I noticed that his bead rubbing became a little bit more vigorous, in fact so much so that we almost crashed into the car in front!

“Watch out” I yelled, just before he slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding an incident. I must have woken him from his trance.

“Sorry mam” he said apologetically.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are those beads for?” I asked inquisitively. 

“Well, they are my meditation beads, I use them to concentrate” he answered.

Narrowly avoiding an accident didn’t seem like great concentration to me ! However, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. He was a Sikh, he told me. He began to share his life and beliefs with me and I was completely fascinated. We exchanged thoughts about life and I was surprised to hear that he was going through exactly the same challenges in his personal life that I was facing at the time. 

We talked non-stop for the rest of the journey as we got even deeper into conversation. We hit the busy freeway on the final leg of the journey and he pointed out the window.

“You see, we are all going to the airport” he said, “some of us are traveling in cars, some on motorbikes, some in buses” he paused, “we will not all arrive at the same time as we are traveling at different speeds, but ultimately we are all going to the same place, we all have the same destination.”

Sometimes the simplest explanations make the most sense, I thought.

When we arrived at the airport, we shook hands as I said goodbye to my new friend and thanked him for sharing part of his journey with me. 

I am often reminded of this encounter when I see a man in a turban, and secretly smile as I remember his words that he spoke that day; One way, many paths.

                                                              I

Love Janine