"Pending Meals for Happiness"
10.02.2014
Hürriyet Gazetesi Yazarı Ayşegül DOMANİÇ YELÇE, 3 Aralık Dünya Engelliler Günü Münasebetiyle Düzenlenen Gala Yemeği'ni değerlendirdi.
Merhaba sevgili okuyucular.
Mutluluğun ne anlama geldiğini hiç düşündünüz mü? Ya da sizi neyin mutlu edeceği konusunda hiç kafa patlattınız mı?
Bana göre mutluluk, sahip olup olmadıklarımızdan çok hayata bakış açımızla tanımlanır. Baktığın her şeyde bir güzellik bulmak ve iyi tarafından bakmak mutluluğa giden ilk adımlardır. İkinci adım paylaşmaktır. Yaşlıların dediği gibi, "paylaşılan sevinç çifte sevinçtir; paylaşılan üzüntü, kederin yarısıdır."
18 Temmuz 2011 tarihli yazımda anlattığım Güney İtalya'da yaşanan tanıdık bir hikayeyi hatırlatmak isterim.
Napoli'de bir kafe.
Commuters stop by the cafe for a cup of coffee in the morning. A man walks in and says: "Two cups of coffee. One for pending."
The man behind the counter serves him a cup of coffee and puts a piece of paper on the wall behind him.
Another customer walks in two minutes later. He says: "Two cups of coffee. One for pending".
He is then served with a cup of coffee. Another piece of paper goes up on the wall.
Then another one walks in.
O üç kahve istiyor. Ama ikisi askıya...
He orders three cups of coffee. Two for pending.
He is served with a cup of coffee with two pieces of paper placed on the wall.
Two minutes later, a poor-looking fella walks in.
He asks for a cup of coffee. Out of the pending ones. He gets the coffee, and the cafe manager takes one piece of paper off the wall and throws it away.
This little story that I have memorized now takes me under its spell whenever I read it. I do not think there is a kinder way to share. And I think this little story is an example to follow for many people.
For instance, the project "askidanevar.com" (literally what is pending) was kicked off by two volunteers who had been perhaps inspired by this story. “askidanevar.com” is a social responsibility project designed to provide college students with free food. As a part of the project, volunteers order foods from restaurants member to askidanevar.com, and donate as many pending meals as they wish. College students present their ID to get pending meals without any charges. To sum up, individuals and corporates with social responsibility buy meals for college students. Without offending or embarrassing them, either.
The December 3 International Day of Persons With Disabilities is around the corner. The Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled is set to hand out "pending tickets" this year as a part of the annual gala dinner. One ticket helps a disabled child and his/her mother join the gala dinner.
It may not be possible for physically disabled people with lack of financial means to go out for dinner at a restaurant and even go out of home. The Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled hosts a gala dinner every year on December 3 to make sure its disabled members, who are even devoid of the opportunity to go out in the street, could have a nice memory to remember. Anyone can host as many disabled members and their families as they wish thanks to the pending-ticket system. One ticket for the gala dinner costs TRY 150 per person.
Please put yourself in the shoes of a disabled person devoid of financial means. Think about how happy you would be once you go out and attend such a dinner. Think about it and get a slice of that happiness. Rest assured that it is not just about treating a dinner for a disabled person. It is about giving him/her a memory to remember for the rest of his/her life.
This year, the gala dinner is held at 7 p.m. Tuesday night on December 3, 2013 at Marriott Hotel Asia. To get "pending tickets":
Bank: Garanti Bankası
Branch: Süreyyapaşa, Branch Code : 742 Account No : 6299560
Account Title: Bedensel Engellilerle Dayanışma Derneği Deni İktisadi İşletmesi
Feel free to call the Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled for more information: +90 216 370 81 66.
Bedensel Engelliler Dayanışma Derneği Başkanı Kemal Demirel, “Bir hayatı paylaşalım” diyor. Çağrısına cevap verelim. Bunu yapmak için pek çok neden var ama en önemlisi "bekleyen mutluluk".
Önünüze çıkan engellerin olmadığı, engelsiz bir yaşam dileğiyle...
