A Perfect Chance To Train Your Creativity

Liverpool in the United Kingdom gets a lot of international tourists, here to see where The Beatles grew up and lived. It’s great to have you here and you’re very welcome to visit; we’ll show you a fine time!

I’m walking home from work late one night, in the suburbs quite far from the centre of our city. Hurrying toward me is a man who looks very worried. He stops me.

Tourist: “Excuses. I am of the lost people.”

Me: *Slowly and carefully* “Okay! I will help you!”

Tourist: “Where is? Where? Is? Where is… oh, dun shah?”

I’m not sure, but I think he’s speaking Japanese.

Me: “What do you need?”

Tourist: “I need dun shah! I need… CHOO CHOO!” *Uses hand to pull a pretend train whistle* “I need the CHOO CHOO thing, please.”

Me: *Getting it* “Train! The station is there.” *Points* “Last train is two—” *holds up two fingers* “—minutes.” *Taps my watch* “Run!” *Fast-moving fingers*

Tourist: “Train! Yes! Station! Two minute! I go! You are perfect! Thank you! You are perfect! Yes!”

He bowed, I bowed back for some reason, and he ran off toward the railway station.

My walk home took me past the railway line, and three minutes later, I saw a train go past… with the guy on it. He saw me and waved. I waved back, and then the train was gone.

And that’s my vision for how life should be. His English was terrible, and my Japanese (I think it was?) is worse (well, non-existent!), but together, we helped each other; he got his train back into town, and I got told I was perfect. I’m still buzzing from that! Yes, I AM perfect, thank you, sir.

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