Embarassment/s..........and ....Others

I went to Carriedo to get my NBI Clearance. The line is usually long, but this time it did not take the whole day to get mine done, which was quite a relief. One would go back to get her/his authenticated NBI Cerification after a few days. I thought most of the employees were accomodating and helpful. There are several steps that one goes through. I think there were eight steps.

In one of the steps (maybe 6), I had a funny but maybe embarassing experience. The person next to me asked if it was necessary to give coins (I think P5.oo or 10.00after) before the guy in charge takes your hand for finger printing. I did not know what those coins that other people laid down on the table were for. Being in Manila and as skeptical as I was, I thought it must be one of the open rackets (legal schemes or scams) they might have in there. Turning my head I said softly, "Probably it is suppose to be part of the service they offer. Why are we suppose to pay?"

It was my turn. I did not put down any coins. When I was about to pick up one of those wet papers (wet wipes) to clean the ink off of my hands, the guy said, "No! you have to pay!" When I could not find any coins in my coin purse, I thought it would be okay. So when I tried to pick up one again, the guy pressed back what I was about to pick up. The thing is, my 10 fingers were painted with black so that I could not pick up my clean form. And there was no store to buy a tissue paper nor a bathroom to wash my hands. I will not tell what I did. I got embarrassed. There was no instruction posted that one is to pay for that wet wipe.

WEll...that is probably how life is sometimes. There are embarrassing moments when I wish it did not happen that way. Some are the result of good intentions while some are out of foolishness. If only, as an individual, I would know the result ahead of time, I would always do things in a way that would make whoever is involved happy. Somehow, with all that could happen....I hope to learn and will continue to learn. I don't want to be naive about how people perceive what I do, or deceived by the words of those who say that everything is excellent, but might think that I am using them in some way.