A single person can't perfectly exemplify humanity, but did anybody ever come close? What about historical events or political decisions?
Well this doesn't exemplify humanity but this popped into my mind. You know that person that you met maybe once a long time ago and still think about on a fairly regular basis? You never know how many times you are that person as well and I am sure everyone is that person to at least one other. Anyone has the ability to effect anyone else's life, for the good or the bad, at any time. I have a few but I will mention just one. My ex's father was having heart surgery many years ago and neither her or his wife drove so I have to go out there to drive them all around. I took the commuter train instead of driving for some reason. Took them in for the surgery, stayed for a few days, picked him up and drove him home. My ex wanted to stay overnight and so decided to as well and she decided to get absofuckinglutely tanked. I was really tired and she would not let me go to sleep. And then she got aggressive and so I thought it would be best if I just left. 3 a.m. when it was -20 Celsius out and I did not have my car. But the train station was only a block away so I would just go hang out there until first train at 5. When I got there I realized Sunday trains did not start until 10. So I hunkered down on a bench and tried to get some sleep. It was pretty shitty and I felt like shit but just put my hat down and tried to ignore people as they wandered in. I was eventually woken up as the train pulled into the station by some maybe 85 y.o. Indian man. (I was a 30s white guy). I was pretty bleary and hadn't shaven in 3 days and all curled up on the bench with my backpack so I probably really looked like shit. Then he walked over to the machine and asked me where I was going as he was going to by me a ticket. He thought I was a bum! I was so touched that this old, retired, immigrant would be looking after a stranger like that. I thanked him but declined. We ended getting off at the same stop and so I asked him if he time for breakfast or a coffee. And that I would be buying. He just had time for a small coffee as he was on his way to open up the family store (and he was 85 but fit as shit) and so we had a nice little chat and then went on our way. I have thought about his kindness and his work ethic probably a few times a year for the last 10+ years. So yeah for me that is definitely one of those people.
It's so nice to know that people are still kind and look out for each other. Most people think about doing something nice for another big never end up doing it. I love these stories.
First job working with developmentally disabled adults. Told to read binders about a specific client, whose life spills out as being tortured, awful, body mangled, limbs cut off, surgery after surgery reducing his body, no power, defenseless. Start crying while reading, sadness hurts in the chest. Said client is everyone's favorite client, always a big smile on his face. Practical, problem solving mind is confused, no idea how to fix the problem that is this client's life. Existential crisis that lasts for days. Eventually realize the client couldn't be fixed, per se. What could be done, however, is providing support, taking good care of the client, adding a sense of healthy fun to his life, making him happy, laugh, feel safe. Outlook on how to treat fellow humans changed forever.
I could not do what you do. A doctor just said to me about a parent with dementia, it is not a problem that can be fixed, it just has to be managed as best as possible.
Sorry about that, must be rough. Something related I discovered in that line of work: many people make the mistake of labeling a person as disabled, having alzheimers, and so forth, and for them, the person with the disability becomes the disability. Disabled client cries a lot, "caretakers" walk by, it's his disability, don't pay attention, you're wasting your time. Once the human gets labelled, it's like their humanity disappears, they're a thing, not a person.
I love this topic. I have no useful information to add at this time but I wanted to say that this is fun to think about and I will revisit this at a later time. Thanks for the cool post.
It's always nice to things like this. There is so much negativity in the world today
Things like this lighten my spirits and give me hope for humanity as a whole. I should be thanking you so I do! Thank you!
You may also enjoy one of the top AMA comments of all time then. By /u/rhoner from 4 years ago: Just about every time I see someone I stop. I kind of got out of the habit in the last couple of years, moved to a big city and all that, my girlfriend wasn't too stoked on the practice. Then some shit happened to me that changed me and I am back to offering rides habitually. If you would indulge me, it is long story and has almost nothing to do with hitch hiking other than happening on a road. This past year I have had 3 instances of car trouble. A blow out on a freeway, a bunch of blown fuses and an out of gas situation. All of them were while driving other people's cars which, for some reason, makes it worse on an emotional level. It makes it worse on a practical level as well, what with the fact that I carry things like a jack and extra fuses in my car, and know enough not to park, facing downhill, on a steep incline with less than a gallon of fuel. Anyway, each of these times this shit happened I was DISGUSTED with how people would not bother to help me. I spent hours on the side of the freeway waiting, watching roadside assistance vehicles blow past me, for AAA to show. The 4 gas stations I asked for a gas can at told me that they couldn't loan them out "for my safety" but I could buy a really shitty 1-gallon one with no cap for $15. It was enough, each time, to make you say shit like "this country is going to hell in a handbasket." But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke a lick of the language. But one of those dudes had a profound affect on me.
He was the guy that stopped to help me with a blow out with his whole family of 6 in tow. I was on the side of the road for close to 4 hours. Big jeep, blown rear tire, had a spare but no jack. I had signs in the windows of the car, big signs that said NEED A JACK and offered money. No dice. Right as I am about to give up and just hitch out there a van pulls over and dude bounds out. He sizes the situation up and calls for his youngest daughter who speaks english. He conveys through her that he has a jack but it is too small for the Jeep so we will need to brace it. He produces a saw from the van and cuts a log out of a downed tree on the side of the road. We rolled it over, put his jack on top, and bam, in business. I start taking the wheel off and, if you can believe it, I broke his tire iron. It was one of those collapsible ones and I wasn't careful and I snapped the head I needed clean off. Fuck. No worries, he runs to the van, gives it to his wife and she is gone in a flash, down the road to buy a tire iron. She is back in 15 minutes, we finish the job with a little sweat and cussing (stupid log was starting to give), and I am a very happy man. We are both filthy and sweaty. The wife produces a large water jug for us to wash our hands in. I tried to put a 20 in the man's hand but he wouldn't take it so I instead gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl where they lived, thinking maybe I could send them a gift for being so awesome. She says they live in Mexico. They are here so mommy and daddy can pick peaches for the next few weeks. After that they are going to pick cherries then go back home. She asks if I have had lunch and when I told her no she gave me a tamale from their cooler, the best fucking tamale I have ever had. So, to clarify, a family that is undoubtedly poorer than you, me, and just about everyone else on that stretch of road, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took an hour or two out of their day to help some strange dude on the side of the road when people in tow trucks were just passing me by. Wow... But we aren't done yet. I thank them again and walk back to my car and open the foil on the tamale cause I am starving at this point and what do I find inside? My fucking $20 bill! I whirl around and run up to the van and the guy rolls his window down. He sees the $20 in my hand and just shaking his head no like he won't take it. All I can think to say is "Por Favor, Por Favor, Por Favor" with my hands out. Dude just smiles, shakes his head and, with what looked like great concentration, tried his hardest to speak to me in English: "Today you.... tomorrow me." Rolled up his window, drove away, his daughter waving to me in the rear view. I sat in my car eating the best fucking tamale of all time and I just cried. Like a little girl. It has been a rough year and nothing has broke my way. This was so out of left field I just couldn't deal.
In the 5 months since I have changed a couple of tires, given a few rides to gas stations and, once, went 50 miles out of my way to get a girl to an airport. I won't accept money. Every time I tell them the same thing when we are through: "Today you.... tomorrow me." tl;dr: long rambling story about how the kindness of strangers, particularly folks from south of the border, forced me to be more helpful on the road and in life in general. I am sure it won't be as meaningful to anyone else but it was seriously the highlight of my 2010. ------- My edit: I grew up in fairly rural Canada and people get stuck in the snow all the time. Mostly just during winter :). The saying is: You are not nice if you stop to help; You are a complete asshole if you don't.
This was my immediate thought when I saw your post. I just didn't want to post it because I figured most everyone has read it. Wrong again! Wonderful story.
Exactly. I do not even care if it is fake. I t is well written and awesome.
Omg I love this. Sooooo gonna share this with friends and family