His Name Was Agus - And He Had A Story to Tell

He was new at the driving job.  Actually, he had been driving for a while, but in another capacity.  He had been driving a shuttle for bicycle riders up to the mountains in Bali to ride around on trails.

But he was a guide now, and driving travelers around to see things was somewhat new to him.  He struggled a bit with English, and didn't really know enough to be a guide.  But he gave it his best shot.  

We spent a lot of time with him.  His name was Agus (pronounced Ah-Goose), and he was earnest and a good driver and very reliable.  We trusted him.  It's an issue when you jump in a vehicle with someone you don't know who will take you to remote places and hopefully get you home safely on time and in one piece. 

One day we drove with him for almost twelve hours.  He made his way through the crazy traffic of Bali and took us to many amazing places and found his way to the right place on the right road.  This is commendable considering the lack of discernible directions, no road signs, and very difficult road conditions. 

 

For all this he made the equivalent of around $7.50 dollars.  We know this because we asked him.  Twelve hours of insane driving for $7.50.  
He was proud of his job and happy to have it.  We doubled his salary with our tip.

We requested him as a driver the next time we needed to go somewhere, and he was very grateful.   We were advised not to rent a car here; you can get a car and a driver all day for less than it cost to rent a car.  It's not advisable to drive in this intense environment, and the traffic in the city is crazy. 

 

Admittedly, things are inexpensive in Bali.  Most things don't cost much.  You can buy an excellent lunch for two for under ten dollars.  But Agus has a wife and a kid, and it turns out he lost his house.

We actually passed through his remote village at one point on our two day trip . We asked Agus about how he ended up in the big city as a driver. 

 

He told us about how he had grown up and lived in a small village.  There was a volcanic eruption, not uncommon on this island.  It was pretty bad, and followed by constant earthquakes.  He said the earthquakes were unnerving.  At one point after so many earthquakes, the government declared that the entire town should move away before something worse happened. 

So he moved to Denpassar, the crowded capital of Bali, with his wife and daughter.  When he finally landed a job as a driver he was really happy.  The job required a good use of the English language, which is a struggle for Agus.  

 
He is proud to have a job as a driver and is working hard to provide good service.  There is a lot of competition for jobs here.  He needs to perform at a high level and one small slip may mean that someone else could replace him. 

 
We were granted a brief glimpse into his life inside a different culture.  He is a very happy person despite a tough life.  We've seen repeatedly that many people who live with basically nothing are very happy people.  

This helps to keep things in perspective.  We should never take for granted what we have.  Make the best of the opportunities you are given.  And while you're at it, be happy.  Things can change in a heartbeat.