Good Things
The thing that I hate the most about Brussels, even more than striking dairy farmers and pickpockets, is the general attitude. Most people would sooner step on your face then let you walk up the stairs before them. I suppose this general apathy for other human beings is a sad inevitability in huge, culturally diverse cities but it bothers me nonetheless.
Today was particularly dreary, especially as I’ve been reading a mildly depressing (but very good) book and have been feeling generally “meh” about things in general. It was the kind of day that just made me want to kick everyone in the nuts.
Really. Even women.
I wished the women would sprouts a pair, just so I could kick them.
So, I guess that’s why I stopped when I saw the older man struggling down the central station stairs with a heavy roll of carpets strapped to a rickety dolly. He was definitely having a terrible time getting the load down the stairs but of course, no one bothered to look twice at hime, let alone help him. I had 15 minutes until my train so I went over, grasped the handle of the dolly and helped the man inch the carpets down the stairs.
The whole way down he was thanking me (and occasionally god, for sending me) and at the bottom he put his hand on my arm, kissed it, and thanked me again. I smiled and told him that everyone should help each other more and I was happy to help him. Then I caught my train.
On the tram home, a young-ish girl refused to move her bags to let an elderly man sit next to her because she was saving it for her also young-ish friend. I stewed over this the whole way to my stop but there wasn’t much I could do. Then, as I was crossing the tram tracks, the girl next to me slipped and was going down into the mud, but I grabbed her and held her steady until she got her balance. She thanked me profusely as we crossed the street.
They aren’t big things, what I did today, but they made me feel so much happier. And I know that tomorrow I’ll face the same blur of bored, passionless faces when I step off my train and work my way to the metro. But this evening I took a few little extra steps and I was able to make myself and my heart a whole lot lighter.
And it cost me nothing but a tiny drop of compassion.
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sometimes we only need to change our own attitude to change our day (and the day of others)
I always feel a bit happier with my day when I can help somebody out.
I find people in Brussels to be fairly polite, definitely more so than in South East England (London is capital of rude). People here tend to apologise when they walk into you at least.
I am so proud to say – THAT IS THE AMERICAN IN YOU and even prouder to say, THAT IS THE PITTSBURGER IN YOU. A little star will shine over your head for being so kind…
You are a good egg. Random acts of kindness really do brighten up the world. Yesterday someone gave up their seat for me on the metro, and last week a someone gave me his ticket in the post office line.
Do you know the movie ‘Pay it forward’? This makes me think of it.
Keep it up, I bet you’ll start a cultural revolution over there.
Doing the right thing is it’s own reward, my friend… especially when others won’t.
Charity, it costs us very little, doesn’t it but pays back big returns. I wish more people would act like you…maybe we need to bring back the new age mantra “Practice random acts of kindness or, FOR GOD’S SAKE, just be polite”