Yesterday while I was waiting for the train home a young woman suddenly started screaming and running around the station in a panic. I recognized her as one of our special students. We have a program here at the college for college-age young adults who are developmentally disabled. They don't earn a degree, but they take classes in life skills (practical information to help them be independent)and they earn a certificate. It's a great program.
I had trouble understanding what she was saying at first, as her speech is slurred, but it turned out she had left her wallet at the college. I offered to help her and she asked me to go with her to find it. Begged me, actually. There was a taxi sitting at the station, so she and I took it (I wasn't sure she could walk to the college -- she has a bad limp). And anyway she was in such a panic, I don't think she could have walked for that reason alone. Long story short, after checking two different buildings, she actually found the wallet. The taxi driver could see the situation and was very kind about waiting for us as we looked. The charge was $9 and I gave him a $2 tip.
It was hard to make the girl understand that we missed the train and that we would have to wait for another one, but when she comprehended, she called her mother to tell her she would be on a later train. I must have asked her a dozen times if her mother would be there and she said yes. So I just have to believe she eventually got where she was supposed to be safely.
Her only response after she was all settled down was, "Do you have any gum?" But I know there is a mother somewhere thanking me.
The funny thing is, I came to someone else's rescue again this morning! There was a man on the train who had a ticket, but it wasn't for the right zone. The conductor told him he would need to pay more to get to his destination, and he said he didn't have cash, just the ticket. I was sitting right across the aisle, so I asked the conductor if it would help to take a punch out of my ticket (which is just an extra that I purchased the day I forgot my monthly pass). Basically I was donating one of my rides, but since it is only a back-up ticket for me it didn't feel like I was losing anything. I was glad to help.
So call me superhero! Seriously, I do like to do random acts of kindness, but rarely get the opportunity two days in a row. It's a nice warm fuzzy feeling!
There was no other spending yesterday besides the taxi, and I brought my breakfast and lunch today.
I've made an appointment with the contractor to fix my ceiling next Wednesday.
The weekend is almost upon us, and life is good!
Random Acts of Kindness
September 6th, 2013 at 04:29 pm
September 6th, 2013 at 04:56 pm 1378486609
September 6th, 2013 at 05:37 pm 1378489045
September 6th, 2013 at 05:43 pm 1378489398
September 6th, 2013 at 05:50 pm 1378489850
September 6th, 2013 at 10:08 pm 1378505280
September 6th, 2013 at 10:51 pm 1378507918
September 7th, 2013 at 01:55 am 1378518931
September 7th, 2013 at 03:59 am 1378526398
September 7th, 2013 at 04:59 am 1378529972
September 7th, 2013 at 06:15 am 1378534515
September 7th, 2013 at 02:53 pm 1378565614
P.S. Are you EXHAUSTED or what - what a heck of a week you have had??
September 9th, 2013 at 02:31 pm 1378737065
Yep, I'm exhausted, but everything is on the up and up now!