Sunday, December 21, 2008

Happy smiles

Recently I have seen so many examples of random kindness and consideration. Several times I've seen people offer a seat to someone elderly on the subway. And the times the offer hasn't been taken the person has very graciously declined with something along the lines of: "Thank you so much but I'm getting off next stop."

I had a guy slam into me as he raced for the subway (I was exiting) and he immediately apologized, and also held my shoulders to steady me and to make sure I was okay. I was simultaneously apologizing because the collision had in fact been my fault. I had thought I'd forgotten my purse on the subway and stopped dead in my tracks and turned around.

A guy was pushing through the crowd to get to a subway and the whole time was saying, "Excuse me - I'm so sorry but I have to catch this train". Often you just kept some idiot barreling through a crowd of people.

In the grocery store, 3 times when I said "excuse me" to people whose carts were blocking the aisle I've received immediate apologies and movement.

Today there were two cars stuck on my street - opposite sides of the road, each had been trying to come down laneways which had not been cleared from the recent snowfall. One guy who lived next tot he lane was already out shovelling the cars out, and a mother and her two kids (older kids - probably 8 and 10) who had been on their way to go tobogganing stopped, and then I was coming back from shopping and stopped too. In no time at all we had the cars pushed out of the snow and onto the street. The girl held their dog, and her brother helped push. He was great. He kept saying, "This is SO COOL". I think it's awesome that the mum had her children stop to help. As for the people in the cars, once on the street they both took the time to express thanks and gratitude to those of us who had pushed. As for the guy on my street who had sort of been coordinating us and shovelling, he was saying, "Oh this is so great that people stopped. With the extra bodies pushing it's so easy"

Yes, I'm feeling all happy about people right now.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! It must be the Christmas spirit (which I'm very much in right now, too).

I was amazed on how many of my neighbors showed up with chainsaws a few years ago when a hurricane knocked my neighbor's tree down and partially into my yard.

I generally hate people, but it's super cool when they prove me wrong. lol.

Rox said...

It's awesome when bad weather makes people come together! Winter is humbling, I think. Especially in Canerdia.

Brice said...

Must be Christmas.
Besides, it can pay off. I pushed a stranger's car out of a snowbank last winter, and the next day she was the receptionist at my vet's office. She got me a discount on my (cat's) visit!

Susan as Herself said...

I love when you see that---it's like a little glimpse of what the world could be like everywhere if humans trated each other---well---humanely.

A treat indeed.

eroswings said...

Merry Xmas, Snooze! Best wishes for warm, safe, and joyous holiday season!

Snooze said...

Stewie: You must have been doubly excited feeling like your yard was part of a set for Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Rox: Winter is the best. But not for the black ice hell you just went through

Brice: right on!

Susan: It kept me smiling all through PMS

Eros: You too!