Posts tagged kindness

So a remarkable thing happened to me yesterday.  As I was heading to a band practice with my friends, we came upon this man who I believed instinctively of questionable trustworthiness.  

He somewhat ambled around us, and being the sheltered white suburban kid I am, I began to panic somewhat.  Let’s just get the elephant out of this room/blog post; he was black.  I, in my ignorance and my stereotype-programmed brain, immediately questioned this man’s purpose from the very get-go.  And why?

Because he was of a different race than me?

Weak.  Cowardly.  I don’t mean to beat myself up.  We all think these things, I’m not saying that I’m the only person in the world with racist views. And this post is not supposed to be a self-imposed berating to preach some gospel of acceptance (okay, maybe it is a little bit).  But that is not what makes this story extraordinary.

Oh yes, friends, the best is yet to come.

So this man approaches me and my two friends, and he asks for a minute of our time.  Somewhat cornered, I oblige.

He continues to us, and I am roughly paraphrasing, “Hello there, I’m from the South Side of Chicago, and I’m in town to visit my Nana at the hospital, and my car broke down.  Can I have ten dollars? She’s very sick and I need to visit her.  I swear, I’m not a drug dealer, I just need ten dollars so I can see her before she passes away.”

So the thought passed through my head. Is this guy pulling our legs? Why on earth should I believe you?

My one friend gracefully dodges the question: “I’m sorry, I don’t have any cash on me.  I wish I could help.”

My other friend refuses to make eye contact.

I, under pressure, do the first thing that comes to my head.  I give him ten dollars.

Immediately, I start kicking myself.  I totally just got conned.  How feeble.  Way to be a sucker.  But this guy looks me in the eye, and says, very sincerely, “God bless you, sir.”

I stop, floored somewhat.  This look in this man’s eye is not one of insincerity.  In fact, the look he gave me was perhaps one of the most genuine exchanges I have yet experienced.

So, I think, maybe, I was wrong. I think he was dead serious.  And maybe I actually helped a stranger. Maybe not.  Maybe I did get played.  But that’s not even what this blog post is about.

And for those of you who may think that this is just some cheap attempt at promoting myself as some kind benefactor to strangers, remember this.  I’m also prejudiced and I have issues I need to work on.

Humble pie served.

We as people spend too much time worrying about whether or not we’re being screwed.  But who really cares? So what if we give to strangers?  This man was my reminder that we need to have more faith in our fellow man.  I think he is extraordinary because he humbled himself.  And this post is for him.  Thank you, anonymous man.