"People will forget what you said and what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel."



People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.



- Maya Angelou -


As a young mother of three children born in a row in the early 2000s, the bus was my primary means of transportation. There were times when I didn't have a driver's license and the bus fare was free if I drove a stroller, so I was able to take full advantage of the benefits. It was a supermom who put the young baby on the stroller, the second on the footstool attached to the stroller, and the first one was lifted up and got off the bus when it was difficult to walk.



However, I didn't have any problems with the routes I was familiar with because I was not good at Finnish, but I often took the wrong bus when I had to go to an unfamiliar place. I must have taken the wrong bus that day too. Isn't the bus just passing by without stopping at the stop where you need to get off? . Surprised, I approached the driver and asked why he didn't stop, 'stuttering', and he replied that the bus he was taking was a direct bus and only stopped at the airport. It was literally an emergency where you had to go to the airport for a while before you could change to another bus. My eyes turned white as I saw the three children whining hungry and tired. He recklessly begged the driver to "get off quickly," but he shook his head and focused on driving.



Suddenly, a middle-aged Finnish woman behind the bus strode over to the driver's side. She began to protest harshly to the article, saying, "Please drop it off quickly." She looked at the three children and me one after another and said, "In this case, you have to take special care of the situation," and raise her voice as excited as her job. Even the indifferent knight didn't seem to be able to beat the old woman, and eventually dropped us off at the next stop. The regret that I couldn't even say 'thank you' to the old lady came belatedly after I got off the bus in a hurry. The active consideration of the woman who helped others in trouble even when it was not her own business, was an opportunity to feel the warm affection that was etched in the frozen, expressionless Finnish heart.



There have been many times when I have felt similar feelings towards Finnish society and the nation rather than individuals. The first day my first child was very sick after passing the stone, as a new mother, I was in a hurry, so I took a taxi and went straight to the hospital. But after the treatment was over, I heard a surprising story from the nurse. "The taxi fare is paid by the government, so please present a receipt." I remember being shocked by the fact that the country pays for a taxi if I have to go to the hospital in such a hurry.



The support for my neighbor's grandmother also surprised me. I was worried about the glasses of my neighbor's grandmother who didn't have enough money because she didn't receive a lot of pension (glasses are quite expensive in Finland, costing several hundred thousand won), but after a while, my grandmother wore glasses that were much more stylish and stylish than the old glasses appeared with The state gave them glasses. That winter, even when the windows of my grandmother's house were broken and the cold winter wind blew into the room, the country replaced the entire windows. I felt grateful for everything.



There are also many benefits to residents at the local level. The most impressive among them is the 'free rental umbrella'. Those who forgot an umbrella and did not bring it can simply take an umbrella from the free rental umbrella bins installed throughout the city, use it, and then put it back in. Recently on a Korean TV show, I saw an advertisement for a bank in which my shoulders were wet, but I leaned my umbrella for the person next to me and whispered, 'I'll pay attention'. In both Korea and Finland, this kind of community built on mutual trust. Thanks to the consideration, people do not have to face the rain without notice.




A few days ago, I read a special gossip article in a Finnish newspaper. Last June, a man dropped a precious ring that had been passed down for several generations in a lake and lost it. The owner of the ring informed the situation on social media and expressed his regret. Then, thankfully, a young man contacted me to go directly to the lake and look for the ring. On the first day of the search, he loaded up his diving gear and plunged into the lake, burying his face in the bottom, collecting and thinning the soil over and over again. However, the visibility under the water is only 20~30cm and the bottom of the lake is too wide to find it. Upon hearing that the search on the first day had been unsuccessful, the ring owner was about to give up on the search. But the next morning, a surprising picture was sent to his cell phone. The photo was taken by a diver holding the ring he had been looking for so much. The moment he saw the photo, the owner was so surprised and happy that the morning coffee he was drinking was so much that Sarai got caught.



Although the owner had given up hope, the man who offered a helping hand did not easily withdraw it. The next day after the search was unsuccessful, he went back to the lake at dawn and began to persistently search for the ring. The owner wanted to give thanks, but the young man said he refused. The man who found the ring told reporters, "Going through this event, I was able to reaffirm the belief that Finns are people who help each other." I think many people, including myself, would agree with his belief.




Not only are bad germs transmitted like COVID-19.

Even a small drop of consideration and kindness toward others can form ripples and spread farther and deeper than you think.

And I don't think it's necessary to wait until someone else starts taking the first drop.



#In-It #Init



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