Doing Kindness

Bill is usually the one to stop when someone's car is on the roadside and it looks like the driver is having a problem. I've heard warnings for women not to stop, as the problem might turn out to be their own, so I'm always wary. Yet, once last year on the way into a school, I saw an older pickup truck on the roadside with a man and a woman outside the truck. There wasn't much traffic, and it was very cold and gray out. I passed them, and having second thoughts, turned around and went back.

The woman recognized me, and I think she said I had been her instructor. Once students are out of my class, I usually forget their names because I have a whole new set to remember, so while she looked familiar, I didn't recognize her. They were out of gas. I offered to drive her to the party store three or four miles up the road and bring her back. At the store, I went in bought a cup of coffee and told the clerk to ring her gas up on my card. I waited in my car for my passenger to return from inside the store. She said someone paid for the gas and guessed that I had. She thanked me while I started the drive back to the truck. She chatted a lot, and I think I remember her saying her husband was on the way to a job interview or was just starting a job, can't remember, but I was glad I stopped.  I know how upsetting running out of gas can be. Dropping her off, I was soon on my way to work. Hopefully, I helped turn the bad start of that couple's day a little brighter, but I realized that the stop had made my day better just knowing I had made a tiny difference in the world.

With what has happened in Paris this past weekend, and all the turmoil over accepting immigrants, I realized in a world filled with hate, bigotry, and distrust, such simple actions as helping strangers can help alleviate fear and restore a sense that not everything is bad, tiny bit by bit.

Please visit the following blogs relating to other random acts of kindness.

Diane Bator
Skye Taylor  
Fiona McGier
Bob Rich     
Marci Baun 
Connie Vines 
Rachael Kosinski 
Hollie Glover 
Judy Copek 
Anne Stenhouse