About two weeks ago, I was walking into a local grocery store to pick up a sandwich for lunch when a big, white pickup truck pulled into a parking spot and an older gentleman stepped out. There was a intellectually disabled young man in the parking lot not far from where the man had just parked. The young man immediately started complimenting the truck, saying how nice it was and how much he liked it.
“Well thank you, buddy,” said the gentleman, speaking to the young man as if he was an old friend, “Want to see what the inside looks like?”
He took the time to interact with this young man, show him things and let him sit in the truck. In the few brief moments I spent watching, I got the feeling that it made this person’s day.
It made my day, too.
It’s always great to see someone going out of their way to be kind to a stranger. Whether it’s holding a door open for someone or helping them change a tire in the rain, these things go beyond an act of common courtesy. They help to restore a sense of positivity within society.
There will never be a lack of bad news. It’s not a sign of the times or some grand indictment of humanity in general; it’s just the reality of the situation. People have done terrible things to each other since the beginning of time, and there does not seem to be an indication that it will stop any time soon.
We can speak out against these atrocities and do what we can to prevent them, but there is an element of human nature that is beyond control.
That’s what makes seeing these random acts of kindness so rewarding. It’s a small glimpse into the best of what people have to offer.