Friday, December 08, 2006

Encounters of the Humane Kind

I know previously, I spoke about doing something kind, unsolicited, just doing the right thing - because it's the RIGHT THING. Paz & Kioyte might remember me speaking about being on a crowded bus, offering my seat to an elderly gentleman and the exchange which followed led him to believe that there are people left in this world who still DO THE RIGHT THING, for nothing in return. Well it happened again. An elderly woman was on one of the 3 busses I ride, I didn't realize it at first, but she carried a collapsable walker. She asked the driver where to go to catch the bus to S. Orange. He pulled over and pointed to her bus stop. Our stop was the same; she struggled with her walker, so I picked it up and took it off the bus for her. (Not that I was surprised but there were plenty of young men in the front of the bus who could've assisted. None did. My cynical mind would have assumed the absence of their lack of support was due to the fact that she was white;WRONG! I too struggled to get that walker off the bus, none of the males at the front of the bus moved; a hispanic woman helped the elderly woman off the bus, then turned to me and in broken english said, "You gotit?" I thanked her. I made sure the woman got to her bus stop and went to mine. It's worth repeating, there's an adrenline high when you do something for someone, be it a stranger or friend, not expecting anything in return, not for how it may "look" to someone else, just because it is the RIGHT THING. It costs you nothing (even if it did, SO WHAT); any simple kindness while it means little to you, may mean the world to someone else. Love & Peace, micki

6 Comments:

Blogger Kiyotoe said...

Glad to see I've rubbed off on you dear auntie. Just kidding. Although i think it's unfortunately a rarity these days, there is an abundance of good natured, big hearted people that have sprouted from our New Jersey home and i think your mother has a lot to do with that (if not ALL of it).

And sometimes it's hard for me to be so generous and caring.....as a Dragon, I have an image to protect.

And by the way, it's K.I.Y.O.T.O.E.
that's messed up mimi.

5:40 AM  
Blogger DesLily said...

well, I have to agree with Kiyotoe.. there's not enough of that sort of kindness anymore. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe others feel as if "it won't come back to them" though that is not why we do such things.
Makes you wonder why it's so integrated in some and not others.

It comes without a thought for me to pick up something someone has dropped, or to reach for something someone cannot reach. I don't think about it.. it's a reaction. So now I wonder why it's not a "reaction" to everyone???

6:44 AM  
Blogger mimi said...

Kiyotoe: so sorry about fouling up the spelling of your name, mea culpa. I think you may be right about where our willingness to reach out comes from: my mother, your grandmother - an Earthbound Saint. She instilled in us a kind of LOVE that knows no limits. Unconditional. Everlasting. We, as anyone who has the experience of Wanda-June or SHAQ-as you affectionately call her,are truly Blessed. DeSilly: Other than the fact that we have become a "microwave society" ALL things must be done in a hurry, no time for taking a second to help someone, bed it stranger or friend, and basic teaching. Some of us are taught to respect, honor, and appreciate at birth. Some are not. Our willingness to help is intrinsic; we can't imagine any other way.

7:12 AM  
Blogger DesLily said...

I can't say I "remember" my mother teaching me to be nice to others.. but I think i can remember learning by seeing her do it...

So if much is learned by "seeing others do it"... do you think those that watched you struggle to help someone learned anything? Sadly, probably not.

9:20 AM  
Blogger mimi said...

desilly: you, like me and my nephews, are very fortunate, we learned by example;if you are never shown a simple act of kindness, how/why would you emulate it? Do I think the young men (I use MEN, very loosely, because they were/are not MEN)learned anything? Absolutely NOT! I have been commuting, given my seat to a pregnant woman or elderly person, and had a young man offer his seat to me. Was that out of guilt? Embarrassment? Did a lightbulb come on? I don't know. I hate to be devoid of HOPE, but it's getting more difficult. Is there HOPE? I have FAITH. Will that suffice?

11:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Unfortunately selfless acts are all but extinct these days, but luckily beautiful people are there to take up the slack!

9:44 AM  

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