Happiness simply from helping others

Anyone not having been to America may be obsessed by Hollywood films and TV documentaries of an enormous country with bright cities, fast-paced people, and lots of entertainment . It is the dream for many folk. I was not out of the trend longing for a visit to ‘the Heaven’.
Unexpectedly, a great chance came and I set foot on the wonder land. At first sight, I was dazzled. The giant skyscrapers, monuments, museums, the huge items we saw: oversized cookies, pizzas, drinking glasses… were astonishing, beyond my imagination. Almost everything was so big and prevailing that even a city resident like me could not envision.
But what was deep in my mind?
We were taken to several museums. Thinking of that would make me sick for the ones I had been to before are the most boring places universally. Just guess what I found? At the entrance of the Mississippi River Museum were elderly volunteers simply dressed in white uniform T-shirt and blue jeans. They smiled at visitors, handing out brochures and guiding us around. We discovered the building excitedly. It was like a thrilling trip along the Mississippi with diagram on the floor and typical exhibits and inscriptions of each river section on both sides. A woman, seemingly aged over 70, stood near the exit, smilingly asking me how I enjoyed the tour. She and her peers had been working voluntarily since retirement. She lived by herself and worked every Wednesday when her health allowed. She found happiness helping visitors and learning about other cultures.
I was lucky to meet so admirable a lady. It was not the only chance. I encountered another elderly woman at Chesapeake Bay. She was sorry for being at the tip of the tongue not to tell me the American word for ‘op shop’. I also had an interesting lesson about marine life at the Maritime Museum with an aged man. And more to tell.
I could see happiness on their wrinkled faces. I assume those simple citizens are the firm foundation to build a great nation many are jealous of.