SINCERITY AND REWARD

Hi Kartuneters! I'm here! You're not tired of seeing me again, are you? This time, I want to vent, or rather, ask for your opinion...   Don't worry, this isn't about love or politics, but more about sincerity and reward...   Kartuneters, you're surely aware that as people with disabilities, we can't fully carry out activities on our own; there are definitely times when we need help from others. In this case, I want to discuss the visually impaired because I am visually impaired myself. Just a quick interlude, I became visually impaired as an adult, right when I was in my prime, LOL. Of course, I was shocked, but fortunately, I'm not overly pampered, and I quickly bounced back (thanks to Kartunet's help too).   Initially, I was certainly doubtful, could I live independently??? But that question was answered by the experience of one of Kartunet's administrators, Esa Anna Mirabilia, who once shared that visually impaired people in Jakarta, including herself, often travel alone, relying only on a cane. Wow, amazing! And I was even more amazed when Esa said she often traveled back to her hometown alone from Jakarta to Purwokerto by bus. How is that possible??? I wondered at the time. Wasn't she afraid of being kidnapped? How could she do it?   It turns out, as time went on, I also became independent like my other friends. Yes, really, I started traveling alone by bus quite quickly (from the early days of my visual impairment). Gradually, I got used to it, and now it's second nature. In fact, every time I go back to my hometown from Semarang to Brebes, I always travel alone, whether by bus, train, or travel service (not by pedicab, LOL). Now, speaking of mobility and independence, sometimes, even often, you encounter people who feel pity and want to help the visually impaired on the streets. I've experienced that too.   Every time I go to campus, I never worry. I just casually go to campus with my cane. I do get a bit annoyed with vehicles speeding around without courtesy on the road to campus, but the show must go on. And even though I feel capable of going to campus by myself, on the way, I'm often helped by a tire repairman who runs his business near the campus. In the middle of patching tires, he takes the time to escort me to campus. Actually, I can go by myself, but since help is offered, I just accept it.   It's not just once or twice that the man helps me; it's almost every day. And the man's helping hand eventually touched my heart too. Hold on, but 'touched' not in a romantic way, mind you! I mean, sometimes I feel sorry for the man and feel like giving a little bit of my good fortune to the tire repairman. Of course, I don't give much because I don't have a lot of money either, hehehe. But occasionally, I want to give him something, whether it's food or money. But my friend disagreed with my idea.   “No need to give him anything; he might get offended!”   Is my friend's opinion correct?? Then my friend added…   “If you give him money, he might think his help was because he wanted money, even though his intention was to genuinely help you. What if he feels uncomfortable and stops helping you?”   Is that second opinion correct???   I'm in a dilemma. My intention isn't to offend him, but just to share some good fortune. Because I feel sorry for him; he runs his tire repair service from morning till night in a spot that isn't very strategic, in my opinion. So, what's the best thing to do? Should I just let him keep helping me without giving anything, or should I give him a little bit of my good fortune?   Honestly, I don't have any ulterior motives; I don't mean to tarnish his sincerity, but I just feel compassion for him. Please give me your input! Thank you! Greetings of acceleration!