The art of making presents to strangers

I talked to an old man sitting on a bench in the park recently. He told me he had spent all his life making presents to strangers. He gave me his guidelines:

“Well, you couldn’t possibly know what could make a stranger happy. So your best guess would be to give them what’s dearest to you. It’s also a good opportunity for you to evaluate what you have and to feel nice about it. Now, don’t ever expect anyone to understand the meaning that the present holds for you. The chances are high that you would be disappointed. Still, if it happens, even only once, this would be the greatest treasure. And the last thing you should know – never ask anyone to give your present back, even if you feel a part of you has died in their hands. Remember – it was not them who asked for it. It was you who wanted to give it away.”

“I need to ask you one thing. You spent your life like that. Did it make you happy?”

“No one ever gave anything to me.”