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On 11-09-2025, around 4:30 PM, I went with my friend to a small town (not a city, only a municipality). We had gone to a polytechnic college there.

For some time, I had to wait outside the college entrance. While I was waiting, the watchman there called me and asked me to sit inside.

After going inside and sitting, I asked him about the principal of the college. Then I asked about the salary of the professors working there.
The watchman gave information about the principal, but said he did not know the professors’ salaries. However, he told me that his own salary was ₹9,000 per month. He also said that he had been working as a watchman in that college for about 19 years.

Later, I sat on a nearby chair. After some time, since I had nothing else to do, I asked him:

“Have you been working only in this college for 19 years?”

He replied that the college has another branch about 200 meters away, and he worked there for 13 years. In between, he said, he did not work for about one and a half years, and after that, he has been working here for the remaining years.

I asked him why he didn’t work during that one and a half years.
He replied:

“I went to Australia.”

For a moment, I doubted whether he was really talking about Australia. So I asked:

“Where in Australia?”

He replied:

“City.”

I asked again:

“City?”

Then he clearly said:

“Sydney.”

I was surprised to realize that he had actually gone to Sydney, Australia.

I asked him how long he stayed there and whose house he stayed in. He said that his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson live there, and he stayed with them.

Then I asked him how he usually spent his time there. He explained that after breakfast, he would go out of the house and walk to a park about four kilometers away, where he would sit for around two hours. Sometimes he went with his grandson, and many times he went alone. During this walk, he used an underground subway to cross the road. On his way back, he would take a round inside a shopping mall and then return home for lunch.

He also said that everything there is very expensive. Eating outside with the family costs around 400 Australian dollars, and a chocolate that costs ₹5 in India is sold for about ₹110 in Australia.

I was still amazed while listening to him and was about to leave. At that moment, he showed me the watch on his wrist and said it cost ₹8,000. He added that it was not an ordinary watch, but one made by a premium brand.

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What I Learned from This

1. Judging people is wrong, but judging them wrongly is an even bigger mistake.
   Don’t judge a book by its cover.

2. He shared all this only because I asked.
   He never bragged or showed off.
   Don’t brag.

3. His grandson’s one-day daycare fee in Australia is ₹7,500, while his own monthly income is only ₹9,000.
   Still, he stands on his own feet and lives independently, even while supporting his family.

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Final Thought

In a society where people proudly boast even about slightly more wealth than others, it is truly inspiring to know that great human beings like this also exist.

Last updated: Feb. 3, 2026, 10:36 p.m.