Wednesday 4 February 2009

The kindness of strangers and a very long walk

From the map, it was a clear cut case of turning right at the bottom of the hill and walking a short distance along the seafront before arriving at my meeting.

After the short distance (having already walked a fair way to get from the station to the foot of the hill), I asked someone for directions. They told me to keep going and I did for another 20 minutes when I asked another stranger.

They pointed off into the distance (the way I was heading) and said it was there but when I got there, I realised I had walked past two train stations and it had been over an hour.

Fortunately, the third people I stopped knew exactly where it was. Turns out it was at the foot of the hill I'd climbed down and, had I not been so intent on avoiding the icy bits of the path (i.e., most of it), I'd have noticed.

They gave me the number of a cab company when I asked but, while I was booking (fortunately, I had allowed myself waaaay too much time), they told me they were heading that way and would drop me off.

They didn't know me. I don't know their names and they refused my offer of money.

But it really got me thinking about the kindness of strangers. As well as all the extra exercise, the experience left me thinking that the universe is definitely a kind place.

Thank you, Kind Couple!

© Eve Menezes Cunningham / http://www.applecoaching.com/ 2009.

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