"Do you really wear that?..."

A few weeks ago, I was coming back from work and realized I was running short of car fuel. I decided to pull over at the motorway service station to fill up on some petrol. After I had added fuel to the car, I went inside to pay.

The cashier was from Pakistan. He asked me in Punjabi, “Would you like a receipt?” I replied back in Punjabi, “Yes, please.” As the man was passing over the receipt, he took a glance at my work name badge. Mentioning the company I work for, he said in a derogatory manner, “You work for them?” I was bit confused, considering I was wearing a name badge because I clearly work for that company. I don’t dress up usually with random name badges pretending to work for random companies, unless April fools day (that's a joke!).

He then followed on by saying (again in a derogatory and shocked manner), “Do you go to work wearing this? They actually allow you to go to work looking like that?” He was referring to the fact I was wearing a Chola and Hazooria. Guru Sahib on the spur of the moment, got me to confidently give the following reply with a smile, “Hanji. Tuhaanoo pataa nehee singhnaa da raaj hai” (“Yes. Don’t you know- Singhs rule.”) The cashier’s face was something to see. His face just shrunk and he went quiet not knowing what to say.

Sitting back in the car, I thought, “Guru Sahib, how great you are! You blessed this poor soul with your unique identity, and blessing Sikhs with such a great blessing of wearing a crown and being the children of the King of kings.”