One Good Deed a Day
On these pages we share stories of peoples Good Deeds. We encourage you to write us about a ’One Good Deed a Day’ that you have offered, received or witnessed, so the we can share them with others.
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Today while driving to work, I was coming down a hill in Springfield, MA, toward a McDonalds when I saw a man probably in his 50’s or 60’s, with a breakfast sandwich in his hand, starting to walk across the street even. He had started walking even though I was likely going to be going past him just as he got to the middle of the street. Perhaps he had seen me before he began to cross, or perhaps he had begun to cross absent mindedly. On a different day I might have kept on going – choosing to drive by quickly. I was in a relaxed and peaceful at the time, and all I felt was to slow down so he could cross easily and safely. He saw me slow down, and so he walked comfortably across the street.
As he neared the other side of the street, he gestured a wave of thanks, with what seemed to be a little sheepishness about starting to cross the street a little prematurely - but with genuine appreciation for my slowing down. I smiled at him, and we made momentary eye contact. It felt that we were sharing a moment about kindness, as if we both knew the world could be a place where people are kind to each other as a matter of course. It felt as if we were connecting for a moment from the true nature of the kindness we would both want to live from. Even though the world often didn’t seem to operate that way.
It was a momentary shared affirmation of our humanity. Even when we lose track of paying attention, or lose track of our human responses to one another…..beneath all of that is kindness waiting to happen.
Reminds me of the refrain from a popular song on the radio: “Waiting For The World To Change”. Bringing it about in this moment. (And, what will I choose in the next moment?)
RM 11/19/09