What Is This?
This is the inside of the train that I was on. It almost looked like a crowded city bus because people had to stand in the aisle due to lack of seats.
Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love the infectiousness of a random act of kindness?
So here's the story: I was on a completely full Amtrak and a good amount of passengers had to stand in the aisle. A middle-aged man commuting home from work noticed a woman with a lot of luggage standing in the aisle. While most people were still arguing over the remaining seats, he stood up, offered his seat and then helped her store her luggage.
Due to pressures in each of our lives, we tend to go through our days a little bit on edge. We don't focus on the good things because they're supposed to go right. We only focus on what's wrong. And trust me, if you're human (which most of us are), things will go wrong during your day.
Sometimes these little setbacks during our day will lead to a shortened temper. And this shortened temper can translate into outbursts that bring down other people and ruin their day as well. You're more likely to see an act of rudeness or frustration than an act of courtesy. Case in point: while on the bus ride to the train station, a driver clipped the side of a parked car and left the sideview mirror bent out of shape. The decent thing to do would be to stop and leave a note, at the very least. But no. This guy just sped away without looking back.
Just as a bad temper is infectious, even one kind act can be infectious as well. After watching the man on the train give up his seat, I was inspired to brighten someone else's day. I ended up helping an old lady fix her umbrella and lending my phone to someone who was lost so that he could call a friend. I'm not saying I normally wouldn't do these things. I'm just saying that maybe we should all be a little more aware of how we can brighten another person's day with a simple action.
It's evidence that you don't have to donate a billion dollars to starving children in Africa to make a big difference. It's as easy as giving up a seat on a train.
On a related note, take some time to watch the movie "Crash" if you haven't already. It's a great movie and the whole plot revolves around this general idea.
