The Lost Button & The Laundryman’s Lesson: Are We Trading Human Touch for Scale? The shirt came back clean and pressed, smelling fresh. But the missing button was still missing. I knew it was gone when I dropped it off, but a small, almost forgotten part of me hoped. Not for the modern, app-based, reputable laundry service to fix it—they simply did what the ticket said: wash and press. No more, no less. The moment took me back decades, to the scuffed counter of the local laundry near my childhood home. I’d hand over school uniforms, shirts, and pants. Often, they’d be missing a button, or the hem would be fraying. When I’d collect them, something magical had happened. Not only were they clean, but they were quietly repaired. A new button stitched tight. A hem neatly restored. Once, I asked the laundryman how he knew. He smiled. “Before washing, I check. If there’s a small mend needed, my wife does it. It saves the customer trouble—and it saves...
The quiet victory of a good heart When you help a person with good intentions and later come to know that the other person has misused your help, you might regret it—which is a basic human nature. However, your willingness to help others should not be stifled by one such act. Remember, the number of good-hearted people is diminishing, and you belong to that rare breed. Do not let your good character change because of people who misuse kindness. When you go to bed, go with the peace of knowing you were helpful, harmless, and good-natured, rather than thinking about people who do not deserve a place in your mind or your sleep. M.L.Narendra Kumar