Luck, Humility, Fortitude

I landed at Heathrow Airport on a rainy day. The cab driver who picked me up at the airport was about my own age, a man in his forties. “Where did you fly in from today?” he asked in an accent that clearly indicated that he was an immigrant to the UK.

“India”, I answered proudly. “India is doing so well!” my driver said. I puffed up with pride. And from there, the conversation (where I was doing most of the talking) was about India’s remarkable achievements over the past few years, the digital revolution exemplified by Aadhaar and UPI, and how India had overtaken the UK’s GDP. I also may have boasted about how hard my generation had worked for the past 25+ years to drive the growth of India’s software industry.

“Have you read Kishore Mahbubani’s books?” the driver asked me suddenly. I was taken aback – a cab driver knowing more than me on an Indian-origin, world-renowned scholar on foreign policy! I answered humbly that no, I had heard of Mahbubani’s name, but not read his books as yet. The driver (let’s call him Jake) smiled and gave me a short synopsis of one of the recent books by Mahbubani on the rise of China.

I now wanted to know more about Jake. How come such a well-read man was making a living driving a cab? Was he a professor who drove on weekends? Maybe he was a behavioral sciences expert who was making me the subject of his research! I asked Jake where he came from and how he got into this line of work.

Jake started to tell me his story. He had been a student activist in his native country. This was an authoritarian regime, and the government didn’t like the fact that this young man was asking them questions and encouraging his fellow students to do the same. Jake was hauled off into jail and held there for 7 years. He was tortured physically and mentally. The lowest point was when he was forced to witness some executions. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Jake was then released under a promise of good behaviour, after his family put up their home as surety.

With the security services breathing down his neck, Jake felt he had no option but to escape from his country. He came to the UK as a refugee, not knowing a word of English. A charity organization helped him through years of rehabilitation, including psychiatric counselling to overcome his PTSD. Jake was helped to learn English, and he took up work as a cab driver. He started being interviewed regularly by news channels on conditions in his native country.

But Jake’s family was still vulnerable. The family home had been confiscated because Jake had fled. Now, his family members faced harassment every time Jake’s face appeared on a foreign news channel. Jake was compelled to take a step back from making any overt political statements.

Jake worked for many years, saving money and sending it back to his family to pay for purchase of another house. When I met him, he was nearing the successful end of this effort. I asked Jake, what is next for you?  

Jake said with a smile that in his forties, he is now reaching a point where he can look to the future and start with a clean slate. He plans to get back into some form of academia in the UK and register for a masters or a PhD, while continuing to work. And maybe, at some point, he will publish his diary of all his experiences!

Reflecting on this conversation with Jake, I am struck by how much our life journeys are determined by luck. My generation was born in a democratic setup in India. We were extremely lucky to come of age in the 1990s – riding the wave of economic progress in India that in turn enabled the growth of the software industry, giving people like me a globe-trotting career.

Meanwhile, Jake grew up in a country where you could have your life and liberty taken away for asking questions to the  ruling regime. But he then had his share of good luck – coming into contact with a noble charitable organization in the UK that housed and fed him, helped him through his rehabilitation and got him back on his feet.

Through good luck and bad luck, you need to stay humble and face any adversity with fortitude. My friend Jake the cab driver (and hopefully, future professor and bestselling author) has certainly taught me that!  

#luck

#fortitude

#humility