"It's nice to be nice"
I heard this phrase a lot in West Africa, especially from a Senegalese man named Karumba, whom Mel and I met at the Senegalese Embassy in The Gambia. Karumba was very kind to us, going out of his way to help Mel and I get our tourist visas for Senegal. After every nice thing he did, he would exclaim, "It is nice to be nice!"
What Karumba meant by this was that his kindness towards us had no other motive, except that it was good. He wasn't being nice for us to do something for him in return, or for us to pay him, or for us to shower him with praises. He wasn't trying to get our phone numbers or take us out. He was simply being "nice to be nice."
This concept has become very precious to me. Traveling in a foreign land, I rely a lot on the kindness of both strangers and friends. It is not something I take for granted. I cherish it. I honor it.
I discussed this back in October also:
On the other hand, nothing frustrates me more than someone who, after giving me some assistance, expects or demands something from me in return. Like the man who insisted I buy him an apple because he directed me to the public bathroom. Or the many men who act like I owe them my phone number because they helped me somehow. When your motive is self-serving, you aren't truly being nice at all.
So thank you to the many who have gone out of their way to direct me to the correct car or taxi, never asking for any money or any favors for their time and energy.
Thank you to the mother who gave me shelter from a rain storm.
Thank you for the many who have intervened for me to make sure I was given a fair price, bartering on my behalf.
Thank you to the Rastafarian man who treated me to mango and avocado and showed me the fishermen of Cape Coast and the local beaches.
Thank you to all the people who have let me into their homes, given me a place to stay, and given me food to eat. Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for making me feel welcome here.
