His Other Name
Token Tales — Reflections on invisibility, presence, kindness, and what it means to be noticed through small handmade notes.
At lunch, I was writing a personal note of gratitude for our server when I asked him his name.
"Maurice," he said.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"That's just my English name," he said with a shrug.
"Oh... so what's your other name?"
"Mugdat."
"And what does that mean?"
"It's Turkish. It means great strength."
For the next few minutes, he told me the story behind his name. I wrote it down, asked him for the correct pronunciation and gave him the note. As I got up to leave, he hugged me and showed me the handmade token I'd given him, clipped next to his photo at the manager's desk.
I could have walked away remembering the service. Instead, I left remembering Mugdat.
માનસી
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