Random Acts of Kindness

So on Friday I was leaving my office and heading for a meeting on my motorcycle. As I proceeded up Groat Rd. I noticed a fellow on the other side trudging northward with a jerry can in his hands and I realized that he was probably attached to the van I had seen sitting on the side of the road. I realized that this poor soul was heading for the gas station on 111th ave and that it would take him at least an hour to walk up there, get his gas, and walk back to his van.

So I headed up Groat, looped around at the top and came back down. As I got up beside the guy I reached through the guard rail and told him to hand me the jerry can so that I could go get him gas and save him some time. He was quite incredulous but handed me the jerry can and tried to give me some money, I was concerned about getting creamed by a car so I just grabbed the can and told him I'd meet him back at his van.

I went down Groat, looped around, went up and filled up his jerry can (took a whopping $10). Then I proceeded back to his van and gave him the gas. He tried to pay me for it but I wouldn't take the money, it's only $10 and if you're going to help someone out you might as well do it right.

I then took of and arrived about 30 minutes late for my meeting, when people asked my why I was late I told them.

I then put up with a good half hour of teasing for "being a superhero" and being asked where my tights and cape were. Half an hour I was harassed for doing a good deed, half an hour I put up with shit because I helped someone.

Then my boss asked me why I'm the one that these things always seem to happen to.

The answer is that they don't happen to me. Probably 500 people drove past this poor guy, at least half of those would have seen him and probably said "That sucks" out of all those people only one of us said "That sucks, and I can do something about it."

So I did.

Now I do this sort of stuff all the time, mostly because people have helped me every time I've needed it so the least I can do is tithe that favour back to the universe.

The fellow I rescued was absolutely incredulous that someone would do that for another person for no other reason than to help out. In exchange I simply told him to pay it forward and help someone else who needed it whenever that opportunity presented itself. . . and I think he will.

The part of this that made me really sad was in telling this story when people would say "But it's not random acts of kindness week. . ."

Why the hell does it have to be a designated week? When did we get to the point that helping another person simply because you can is no longer sufficient reason?

I for one will continue to help those that I can, I will continue to change flat tires, fill jerry cans, give people a ride, sit on the side of the highway with people who are a little afraid to be there alone, dial 911, perform first aid, perform CPR, put chains back on bikes, and anything else that I can do to help. I can't always stop, I can't always help, but when I can I will and I challenge you to do the same dear reader. I challenge you to look at someone who's found themselves in a rough patch and ask what you can do to improve it for them.

Till next we meet. . .