WHOA! I was feeling a bit upset over some challenges in my life right now, relating to certain people putting, as I sometimes feel, obstacles in my way for no other reason than to make things hard for me. With this feeling in the background, I went out for a walk and ended up going into a 99¢ store, of which there are an endless number in NYC. It's sometimes fun just to go in and look at all the cheap cheap stuff. I stopped when I saw an item that I vaguely recalled perhaps having some use for. I picked it up and was surprised to see these words in small professional print on the packaging: "To willingly undergo hardship for the sake of others is compassion."
I said to myself, "Whoa!" It was weird. At first, it really felt like a personal message to me! I stood there and just kind of stared/meditated looking at the shelf. Then I looked at other products from the manufacturer, and all of them had as part of the packaging—just under the description of what the item contained, its model number, etc.—imprinted words of inspiration, all Eastern flavored. I decided to buy a few other of their products that I would probably have some use for in the near future: some tools and simple electronics.
The company's name is Trisonic. I looked them up online. They are a Flushing, New York-based wholesaler of products made in China. I called them up to ask about their uplifting epigrams. The woman who answered spoke very good English, with just a slight accent. She was very nice and humble. She said they just put the positive messages on their labels for no real reason other than the hope that maybe it'll make people feel good. I told her about my experience. She said: "Just hearing that I get tingles up and down my spine. Thank you for calling. I am so happy. I will tell the others."
All I can say is "Whoa!"
— Gabriel Fenteany, June 7, 201
