Auspicious Encounter

When I got off the plane in Bangkok this past Monday after a roughly ten-hour flight from Amsterdam, I was thinking what a wonderful vacation I just had. At the same time, it felt good to be back home because I have a sense of place and a feeling of belonging here. Following a Thai habit and custom, I began looking for some auspicious sign to greet and hearten me at my homecoming.
The poorly designed hallways of Suvarnabhumi Airport certainly weren't welcoming, and when I got a taxi, the driver made no secret that he was disappointed to get a Thai passenger because "foreigners don't make trouble and tip better except for Japanese, Koreans, Indians, and Chinese". "Thais are bad too," he added. "Now I always ask them to tell me which roads to take because no matter what I do they accuse me of taking a roundabout route to run up the meter."
This grumpy guy is not an auspicious encounter, I thought to myself while feeling a bit down hearted.
Later in the morning, I went to the bank thinking that this wasn't going to be where I would see auspicious signs. The lady who helped me was very professional and efficient, and when all business was done, she asked me very politely, "Are you the son of Luang Vichit-Vadakan?" When I answered in the affirmative, she said with a lovely smile, "I have read his books."
I can't imagine a more auspicious blessing to come home to.
I hear this question or some variation of it quite often, and each time it makes me think of my father's wonderful legacy. He was born in 1899 and lived only until he was sixty-four, yet people from all walks of life are still saying how much his writings mean to them. Once it was in a store in Bang Saphan Noi that I was asked the question after the owner saw my name on an order form. She immediately went to the back room and brought over a copy of one of father's books. "This book has helped me in my life and my marriage, and I always keep it near me," she said.
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Photo location: Baan Na Fai, Uthaitani province