Motion!!!!!
Driving through Central London in the traffic the other day, I thought about a Taxi driver whom I knew about 22 years ago in that dust covered, dry concrete wasteland that was the town the pedantic Paediatric Surgeon, the Golders Green Geezer and the Lager Lawyer and I went to University.
His cab was a Peugeot 404 Sedan,(example in top left hand photo) possibly the 1970 model. What was remarkable about him?
Well I doubt if you'll find many people as calm, content and self-satisfied as this guy was. I never found out what his name was, but his nickname was Motion!! (Exclamatory emphasis mandatory). If you were in any doubt as to his identity, his nickname was boldly written on the side of his rickety yellow taxi ( condition similar to the examples in the top right photo) in scraggly Navy blue characters. This car by the way appears to still be in use in parts of South America and Africa.
I never ever saw or heard of Motion!!! losing his temper even in the face of provocation from errant passengers and Traffic Wardens/Police. Rather than argue, he would look you in the eye and go "brother (or sister), keep the money and your devil", even though he was quite a strong muscular fellow. He was to all appearances a young man at the time (30 at most). Totally laid back, unflappable and scrupulouSly honest, he never cheated with the change as others did and never over-charged or took advantage and if you left anything in his taxi, Motion would not rest until he found you and returned it.
He always seemed to have various nuggets of wisdom for his passengers, which though not always solicited or absolutely useful, either made you sigh or laugh. Motion once asked me, "bros (the local abbreviation of brother, used in conversations with any male person of older or similar age), I saw you jogging through the campus the other morning, don't be offended but why were you running, I didn't see anyone chasing you?" my answer was to the effect that I was trying to keep fit. He then asked me in all seriousness why I didnt head down to the Main market at a place called Agbani Road and help out with off-loading yams from the trailers supplying the market, his simple and practical belief being that at least for that I would get paid. He wasn't kidding, anyone who knows about the Labourers at the Markets in Nigeria, will know its back-breaking, hellish work in 37 degree heat. I laughed it off. However he persisted, saying that if I preferred to work free, the gang-masters would gladly oblige and indeed I could choose my hours. He further suggested that if Agbani Road was too far, he would suggest Uwani market, which was a 15 minute walk from the campus. I thanked him for his advice and promised to think about it.
Another nugget being "Brother (or sister) beware of heartbreak, when you go out, leave your heart at home and take only carbon-copy".
That in essence was his practical logic. Motion was illiterate, unsophisticated and a hick, but a very content, happy and I daresay much loved bumpkin. I recall witnessing him driving through a popular high density area of the Town and having a small crowd of kids screaming "Motion!!" (as well adults of all levels of social status) as he drove past, he would always respond with a loud "yeeaah" and a thumbs up. He was extremely popular with the student community on account of his Hippy air and laid back attitude (it is of course rumoured that this was on account of his disposition to the odd Joint, however I never saw him smoke one so I can't confirm that).
He drove his taxi for several years afterwards and I never really found out what happened to him or where he is today. I'm really keen to know however.
Motion is my hero of the day for his simplicity, practical wisdom, honesty and unwavering self-control and warmth. He was never a victim of the materialism that was the trademark of his countrymen, neither was he a free-loader, he worked often from 7am till 11pm, 6 days a week (Motion never worked sundays no matter how much he was offered for a charter job, you see even God rested on the sabbath, so who was he to question divine wisdom). No neurotic self-indulgence or self pity, he made enough to keep himself and family and seemed genuinely contented with his lot. What a guy!
I never ever saw or heard of Motion!!! losing his temper even in the face of provocation from errant passengers and Traffic Wardens/Police. Rather than argue, he would look you in the eye and go "brother (or sister), keep the money and your devil", even though he was quite a strong muscular fellow. He was to all appearances a young man at the time (30 at most). Totally laid back, unflappable and scrupulouSly honest, he never cheated with the change as others did and never over-charged or took advantage and if you left anything in his taxi, Motion would not rest until he found you and returned it.
He always seemed to have various nuggets of wisdom for his passengers, which though not always solicited or absolutely useful, either made you sigh or laugh. Motion once asked me, "bros (the local abbreviation of brother, used in conversations with any male person of older or similar age), I saw you jogging through the campus the other morning, don't be offended but why were you running, I didn't see anyone chasing you?" my answer was to the effect that I was trying to keep fit. He then asked me in all seriousness why I didnt head down to the Main market at a place called Agbani Road and help out with off-loading yams from the trailers supplying the market, his simple and practical belief being that at least for that I would get paid. He wasn't kidding, anyone who knows about the Labourers at the Markets in Nigeria, will know its back-breaking, hellish work in 37 degree heat. I laughed it off. However he persisted, saying that if I preferred to work free, the gang-masters would gladly oblige and indeed I could choose my hours. He further suggested that if Agbani Road was too far, he would suggest Uwani market, which was a 15 minute walk from the campus. I thanked him for his advice and promised to think about it.
Another nugget being "Brother (or sister) beware of heartbreak, when you go out, leave your heart at home and take only carbon-copy".
That in essence was his practical logic. Motion was illiterate, unsophisticated and a hick, but a very content, happy and I daresay much loved bumpkin. I recall witnessing him driving through a popular high density area of the Town and having a small crowd of kids screaming "Motion!!" (as well adults of all levels of social status) as he drove past, he would always respond with a loud "yeeaah" and a thumbs up. He was extremely popular with the student community on account of his Hippy air and laid back attitude (it is of course rumoured that this was on account of his disposition to the odd Joint, however I never saw him smoke one so I can't confirm that).
He drove his taxi for several years afterwards and I never really found out what happened to him or where he is today. I'm really keen to know however.
Motion is my hero of the day for his simplicity, practical wisdom, honesty and unwavering self-control and warmth. He was never a victim of the materialism that was the trademark of his countrymen, neither was he a free-loader, he worked often from 7am till 11pm, 6 days a week (Motion never worked sundays no matter how much he was offered for a charter job, you see even God rested on the sabbath, so who was he to question divine wisdom). No neurotic self-indulgence or self pity, he made enough to keep himself and family and seemed genuinely contented with his lot. What a guy!
posted by Seal67 at 9:14 am
1 Comments:
Your answer to his question should have been no one was chasing you, you were chasing something.
Post a Comment
<< Home