My first foray on the micro-blogging platform Twitter was in March 2009 after I read a Copyblogger article about how Twitter can make you a better writer. Ever the fan of brevity and getting to the point quickly, I decided to try this network out.
I have been hooked (in a good way) on twitter since then and value it higher than Facebook, G+, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr et al combined. And for good reason too. Via Twitter I have made friends, gotten new business, found inspiration and discovered valuable insights. Its safe to say Twitter, used right, has added a whole lot of value to my online life.
But it wasn’t until recently that Twitter got me a tangible gift and showed me the power of generosity.
On Nov 21st 2012, in a spurt of zealousness, I tweeted the following: “If anyone ever wants to send me a gift for any reason whatsoever, THIS > http://amzn.to/UyJ3qG”
This tweet was followed by a link to Amazon’s page from where to purchase the latest Tim Ferriss best-seller The 4-Hour Chef. Being a Tim Ferris fan, naturally i was quite excited at the prospect of reading another cutting-edge compilation on his latest experiments and methods (incidentally this book is not about cooking per se, but about the art of learning anything within a very short period of time, called “meta-learning” by Tim).
Anyhow, I imagined my tweet would disappear in the twitterverse without so much as a trace.
Until a certain doctor appeared on the scene.
I have never met Dr. Omar Chughtai in real life. In fact I had only recently started following him back on Twitter.
And this, folks, is how Twitter works.
You “meet” someone, strike up a conversation, put out your wish list and pretty soon people are gifting you stuff!
I’M KIDDING!!!
Seriously though, I was bowled over by Dr. Omar’s generous offer. As promised he had the book delivered to me a few weeks later. The day the book arrived was a day fraught with complications and anxiety for me. My 5-month old baby was not well and heading towards hospitalization. My elder daughter was on nebulization as well. I was feeling pretty low with overwhelming amounts of work and problems piling up. As any working mom knows, two sick kids is enough to derail life completely.
When the package arrived for me amidst the chaos that morning, I held the still-wrapped book in my hands for a lingering moment, relishing its weightiness (all 672 pages of technicolor hardcover!). I didn’t immediately tear open the wrappings, but waited until a more peaceful time to do so.
I am convinced that life is lived in these moments. They last but a few seconds but have meaning and impact on your life. And they are remembered. Moments like these become the milestones of your memories.
I want to publicly and profusely thank Dr. Omar Chughtai for brightening up my day and my life with his gift. His real gift I mean. The book is great but the real gift of course is a reaffirmation of my faith in the generosity of giving.
The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. ~ Pierre Corneille
The fact that his gift was given unhesitatingly, unflinchingly, immediately and with such certainty makes me more than grateful for knowing him. I’m thankful for being given the opportunity to “meet” such a warm, generous person.
Dr. Omar Chughtai, thank you!
p.s. Book review to follow once I’m done reading this massive book!
p.p.s. If you’re not already, do follow @omarchughtai and myself (@salmajafri) on Twitter.
Salma,
Thank you for writing this. The gift pales in comparison to your generous praise.
Omar
Thanks for the smiles Omar 🙂 Worth more than the book (no offense to Tim haha)