Tag: people

Helping Hands ~ Act of Kindness #8

~ 1kindness2day ~ 9 Comments
WP15 090218
photo credit: bady qb

Yesterday, I took a crowded bus home. Three stops later, it stopped for a Young Lady with a backpack and a tote bag on her shoulders, a stroller in which was a sleeping little one, and she was verbally managing a three (maybe four) year old.

Her accoutrements couldn’t quite fit past the support pole at the boarding point, so she moved to the rear where there was supposed to be a retractable ramp. Naturally, this was the bus with a driver who couldn’t or wouldn’t get the ramp out.

Young Lady ordered the three year old to precede her up the bus. Middle-Aged Uncle vacated his seat for the child, who took one look at him and shrieked for reasons only he knew. The startled Young Lady, who was still on the pavement, panicked.

Unfortunately, the gap between the pavement and the edge of the step was too wide for her to safely tilt the stroller’s front wheels up and into the bus – if you’ve ever pushed a stroller, you’ll know what I mean. In any case, there was another step at that doorway to conquer before getting all the way in.

Three of us had moved forward at this point to help. The three year old shrieked louder, the little one was now awake and displeased, Young Woman was frazzled and the bus driver was glaring in the rear view mirror. (Seriously, you couldn’t do something more useful? Like lower the ramp?)

An Elderly Uncle appeared. He gestured for us to move back, told Young Lady to tend to the three year old and physically lugged the stroller up the bus. Middle Aged Uncle had taken Young Lady’s bags and placed them on the seat. While we were all relieved that the little group was now safely inside the bus, we were concerned that the driver would move off before Elderly Uncle alighted. Fortunately, the driver apparently had enough sense to wait. Also, an Auntie up front had started raising her voice at him. (Good!)

There was a chorus of thanks all round. Elderly Uncle waved at us all and went on his way. We moved on. Sadly, I can’t tell you what fate befell the driver because I alighted at the next stop.

Thank you all, especially Elderly Uncle, for extending helping hands where they were needed.

 

THANKS

Oy, Auntie! ~ Act of Kindness #6

~ 1kindness2day ~ 2 Comments

I was early for my lunch with my BFF today. While waiting, I ordered a coffee and sat down to read at a nearby coffeeshop. 30 minutes later, she arrived and off we went to our lunch venue.

We took the downward escalator; I was in front, my BFF a step behind me. Mid-way down, we heard a loud male voice bellow, “Oy, Auntie! Aun-tie!”

There followed the thump of a foot that caused the escalator to vibrate. I turned, as did my BFF. As did the middle-aged man behind her. As did everybody else within hearing distance.

A young man stood at the head of the escalator waving a book. “Oy, Auntie, your book!”

Yep, I’d left my book in the coffeeshop. I had a choice: head back upwards on that escalator or reach the bottom and take the other one up.

The young man solved the dilemma. He took two steps down, handed the book to the middle-aged man and pointed at me. Then he bounded back up what was now five steps.

The least I could do was bellow back my thanks. He waved cheerily back. My highly mortified book was passed from the middle-aged man to my BFF to me. (It has since buried itself inside my tote and refused to reappear.)

I am deeply grateful to the young man who bothered to track down a forgetful reader. My thanks also to the man and BFF who helped to reunite a book and its owner.

 

THANKS

Donut

~ 1kindness2day ~ 7 Comments
WP6 210118
photo credit: jessica henderson

CARVE

… a new identity: husband, wife, an “us” to grow

… role: father, mother, a family to build

… persona: changing perspectives of the world

… behaviours: changes perceived by the world

… lessons: teaching a child

… learning: taught by the child

… a hole: a munchkin leaving for college

… a new whole: husband, wife, an “us” to grow

 

————–

DAILY PROMPT ~ CARVE

 

THANKS

 

I Have Issues With Tissues

~ 1kindness2day ~ 2 Comments

 

I’ve always thought of tissues
As cellular matter:
An ensemble of cells
To make us stronger or fatter.
As little square sheets
For wiping food splatters,
Or stifling our sneezes
In the midst of our chatter.

Then came the revelation,
The dismayed observation
That tissues could be …
Tools of reservation!

Hungry people prowled,
With trays laden with food.
Tables around them sat vacant
Yet some ate where they stood.

The reason, you see,
Is this phenomenon called ‘chope’.
In hawker centres and food courts,
Want a seat? See the tissues? Abandon hope.
Because every packet of tissues
Marks a reserved lot;
Each owner will be back
With his food, to his spot.

But must we obey tissues?!
Can’t we toss them aside?
Who started this ‘chope’ thing anyhow?
Why must we all abide?

These packets of tissues
Should not be more powerful than laws.
Tissues are for blowing noses
And wiping sweat off our jaws.

Yet we’ve allowed this -
This bizarre situation
Where a tiny inanimate oblong
Is a tool of reservation.

DAILY PROMPT ~ RESERVATION

 

THANKS

The Crossing ~ Act of Kindness #1

~ 1kindness2day ~ 14 Comments
WP1A 150118
photo credit: Lily Lvnatikk

 

So there I was, approaching a busy traffic crossing. Already poised to cross were two teens and a few other pedestrians.

The lights changed. Instead of crossing, the teens turned back to gesture animatedly at a younger child whom I had not noticed earlier. She stood beneath a tree, steadfastly refusing to proceed, crossed her arms and plopped herself on the bench. As the traffic light beeped its 10-second warning, the teens shrugged and continued on their way.

I had reached the crossing by then, and waited for the next light change. The teens had disappeared from view but the child had stood and scrunched up her face, pacing before the tree.

Out of seemingly nowhere, an auntie appeared and bent to ask the child if she was lost. Then another auntie appeared, already digging out her phone and asking, “Eh, girl, where’s your mummy?”

I was on the verge of going up to explain about the teens when the lights changed and we were all swept forward. The aunties held her hands and, reaching the other side, they continued to ask her for her name and where she’d last seen her family.

Then there was a shriek and one of the teens popped out from a store. The child shrieked back. Reunion.

The little drama at the traffic crossing could have ended in a completely different direction. But what mattered was how the aunties stepped up to help a child they didn’t know.

Thank you, aunties. Your kindness enriched my day.

 

 

THANKS