If we think back to when we were young, we can always remember the people who have encouraged us: dad, mum, teacher or friend. Even in adulthood, a pat on the back by a boss or coach does wonders to the soul and spirit.
Other than the usual "awesome" and "fantastic", I picked up a number of interesting local phrases of praise and encouragement. "You are no daw" means you are smart, "you are deadly" means you are seriously earth-shattering. The power of words is unquestionable. Being encouraged gives a boost to our confidence. Uplifting words can come from anyone: a security guard, a priest or a car salesman.
It was late in the night when I visited a loved one at the intensive care unit of a hospital. I was thirsty and decided to get a cup of coffee from the vending machine. However, the glass door that led to the vending machine was closed and a security guard signalled to me on the other side of the door to press a button to open it.
The door opened in a jiffy but I noticed that there was no button on the other side of the door for me to get back into the ward. "How am I going to get back in?" I asked. He said, "Just holler, and I will come running." Then some small talk ensued. As I was making my way back into the ward, he said, "You speak very good English." I smiled and thought that was nice.
Then I saw a very elderly priest making his rounds hoping to encourage the patients. He approached an 84-year-old Catherine, held her hand and instead of saying the usual "Get well soon", the witty priest asked, "Are you ready to go back to the hurling field after half-time and continue the match?"
The elderly lady laughed and I thought that was hilarious. Hurling is an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. It is somewhat like hockey to the uninitiated.
The priest held her hand and prayed for her. Then before he left the ward, he said, "Now Catherine, no more hurling for the rest of the season, okay?"
As I walked to my car after the hospital visit, I was reminded of the salesman who sold me the car. He told me I would have to buy insurance online. Apparently, the quotes differ greatly from company to company. One of the determining factors would be age. To the average Mat Salleh, all Asians look alike and it is difficult to tell how old they are. So I asked him how much it would cost to buy a year's insurance for a particular model.
He sized me up in my jeans and T-shirt and very seriously without batting an eyelid said, "That depends on your age. I won't ask you how old you are but I can tell you for a lady of 25 to 30 years, it would cost..." I guffawed within. Call it sales talk but if that is what he thinks I am, so be it.
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