Kindness Came Back To Him With One Act At The Bus Stop

(Editor's note about the author: T.O. Illustratio is a free lance writer and observer of the interaction of personalities in everyday life. The author seeks to inspire readers to look within themselves to see how much good they can do in this world when a definitive purpose in life is clear.)

The alarm blasted it's despised warning that another day of misery had begun. He lifted, or more accurately dragged himself out of bed, as he did every weekday morning. Another walk to the bus stop. Another day of being forced to associate with imbeciles and ne'er-do-wells. The two-day escapes that constituted the weekend reprieve were never enough as the inevitable Monday always returned.

As he went through the monotonous, oblivious ritual of these hated mornings; shower, dress, and quick breakfast, his mind wandered to the past. Would better choices have led to better results? It didn't matter now anyway.

His wife had the coffee ready. She was chipper and excited to start her day. She was always that way. She greeted him with a smile and a hug.

Without a word he would eat the same boring breakfast, then offer the same scripted "have a good day" which he knew was impossible. His wife would tell him it will be as good as he envisions it; advice he always loathed. He would head out for the walk to the bus stop, looking up at the blazing sun bearing down on him, making the walk even more aggravating.

On this day as he got close to his destination, already crowded with scurrying commuters, he saw an elderly lady knocked down by the crowd, unable to get herself back upright. He instinctively reached down to help her back up and made sure she got a seat on the bus. He wondered why so many walked past her, laying on the ground, helpless.

Then he slumped into his own seat, closed his eyes and blocked out everyone around him as he waited for the bus to drop him off at the job that didn't fulfill him.

The Bus Stop Lesson

The next day started the same as the previous day. The alarm clock jolted him out of slumber and his morning ritual took over as he barely acknowledged his wife except to note her annoying excitement for this new day and her insistence that he could make the day as good as he could envision it. And again, he marched out the door into that bright sunshine that would bear down on him.

As he approached the bus stop, he recognized the older woman who he had assisted the day before. Today she had a young man with her. The elderly lady pointed to him and the twenty-something fellow asked him if he was the person who helped his grandmother the day before? After an affirmative nod, this young fellow thanked him and told him, "Your kindness will come back to you."

They sat next to each other on the bus that day and the elderly woman related how she rode that bus every morning. He wondered why he had never noticed her before, but knew in his heart that he didn't notice anyone. Oddly, that bus ride wasn't as bad as usual. It was almost enjoyable. He hadn't given a second thought to his act of kindness yesterday, but her gratitude had caused him to feel something different.

Wednesday morning brought the same shocking alarm, but today his mind went directly to that older woman. He shared the story with his wife, who beamed with pride as he spoke of the small act of kindness, how it unfolded and how it had affected his day.

He thought about it on his daily walk to the bus stop. He glanced up and smiled at the warm glow of the sun. When he arrived, that lady was waiting for him with a cup of coffee. She wouldn't accept payment and they shared stories of their families as they rode to their destinations.

Today was different at work. After trudging into his department, he saw a young lady sitting forlornly in the hall. She was visibly shaken as he asked her if he could help. Like a waterfall cascading over a mountain, the emotions poured out from her. She had worked on an assignment given to her and felt as though she had done quality work that would be met with approval. But her supervisor panned it and questioned her usefulness to the company.

He knew the supervisor and knew this wasn't the first time the manager had deflated a talented subordinate. He suggested they meet during lunch in the park across the street to look at her assignment results. As they sat on a park bench drenched in sunshine, he was able to quickly size up what the supervisor rejected.

Her work as actually exceptional. He knew from experience that this supervisor was threatened by talented underlings. He suggested some simple revisions that maintained her accurate research. Then he went about his day.

As he clocked out and headed home, he was met by the same young lady, although this time she was smiling. She had followed his advice and resubmitted her work. While the supervisor still picked it apart, it was accepted and would be utilized. She expressed her gratitude for his kindness. He didn't think it was a big deal.

"Your Kindness Will Come Back To You"

Thursday arose but without the blast of an alarm clock. He had risen early, made the coffee for his wife and was enjoying the morning sun, when his wife, astonished by his early start thanked him for his consideration.

He told her about his previous day at work and again she beamed with pride and congratulated him for his act of kindness to another person in distress.

The walk to the bus was thoroughly enjoyable on this morning. He found his elderly friend and they chatted all the way to his appointed stop. He found himself hurrying into work, just to check on his young protégé. She had already told her colleagues about his kindness and they asked him to spend lunch with them. They wanted his input.

After another relaxing lunch break, he returned and finished his work so much quicker than was usually the case. This had been a really good day. This time he told his wife about everything during their evening meal. She was surprised and grateful. This was a change and something she appreciated.

Friday morning would be a repeat of Thursday as he woke early and thought about his upcoming day over the coffee he had prepared. He enthusiastically wished his wife a great day and waited for her message that it would as good as he could envision it. The sun brought about exactly the same temperature as Monday, but for some reason it felt different. He felt different.

Once again he shared stories with his new friend, and once again he strode confidently into his work station. As he entered, he was summoned into the division leader's office. A brief feeling of terror washed over him. This couldn't be good.

As he sat down, across the desk from the person in charge of every department, a sudden calm came over him and he knew that whatever happened, he would be fine.

And then the bombshell hit. He was informed that a group of employees came to this overall leader at the end of the day yesterday, telling how they had been helped by a kind person. They expressed how they had been beat down in the past, but how this kindness and guidance had brought back their enthusiasm.

The leader said he would be promoted to the role of supervisor and wanted him to implement a program, division-wide that mirrored what he had done for this small group.

At the conclusion of the meeting, he called his wife. He hadn't called her during the day in years. She was thrilled and proud.

He left the building at the end of the day, already looking forward to Monday. As he arrived at the bus stop he noticed the spot where his elderly friend had fallen on Monday. He thought of what her grandson told him the next morning. "Your kindness will come back to you."

So much had changed, yet so much was the same. The same walks, the same bus stop. Yet they were all different because he was different. He took his eyes off himself for an instant. And his life changed.

His kindness came back to him.

Written by T.O. Illustratio 

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