Originally written December 2025
I always thought I was selfless. In fact, I may even have bragged about how selfless I was.
Until today. 
As most of my long-term friends know, Graeme and I usually spend a quiet Christmas Day at Fitzroy Island, unless we’re overseas or celebrating with family interstate.
This year, I decided to make the day a little more adventurous: a walk to the summit, a glass-bottom boat tour and some snorkelling.
The summit walk itself wasn’t particularly difficult, but at 31°C with 78% humidity, it certainly felt harder. By the end of the day, I was tired, hot and very ready to go home.
Our ferry arrived.
Except two people on the manifest didn’t.
So we waited.
And waited.
For one and a half hours.
By that point, I almost lost it. It was hot, sticky and completely still. No breeze. I remember thinking:
Why don’t we just leave them? It’s not our fault they missed the ferry.
So much for being selfless. 
Eventually, the crew decided we had waited long enough and the ferry left without them. Once we started moving, the breeze came through and I immediately felt better.
And strangely enough, once I was comfortable again, I started feeling sorry for the two people we had left behind.
That made me realise something.
It’s very easy to think of ourselves as patient, generous and selfless when helping someone costs us very little.
The real test comes when caring about somebody else is inconvenient, uncomfortable or actually costs us something.
Apparently, my selflessness performs much better with air-conditioning.
Stories Along the Way 