The Kindness of Strangers

I haven't felt particularly inspired lately, but yesterday, something happened to me that completely changed my day.

As most (if not all) of you know, I'm from the South, and if there's one thing we pride ourselves on, it's our hospitality, kindness and overall goodwill.  That's not something I see very often here in Washington.  D.C. is in a sort of "no man's land" geographically - I wouldn't call it the North by any means, but there's not much Southern about the city either.  An old friend of mine once wisely said:  "Washington has the charm of the North and the efficiency of the South." 

C'mon, you guys are smart...it shouldn't take you very long to figure that out.  Aha!  I see the lightbulb going off now.

Yesterday, I left work late as usual, and as I was walking out, it began to drizzle.  I didn't carry an umbrella in to work yesterday but a little rain never hurt this girl!  I wasn't going to melt, so I walked on, actually enjoying the fine mist on my skin.  The further I got away from my job (and any sort of shelter), the harder it began to rain.  Now, my work isn't very far from Metro, but in a complete deluge, a few blocks seems like 3 miles.  By the time I reached 7th Street, I was soaked to the bone and a rather unhappy camper.  I stood on the corner waiting for the "WALK" signal with my head down and droplets of rain running down my nose.

"You look like you could use a friend," a voice said from behind me.  About that time, not one but TWO umbrellas covered my head.  I was in the middle of an umbrella sandwich, flanked by a lady with a hot pink umbrella on one side and a polka dot umbrella on the other.

"Yeah, I could use a friend with an umbrella," I said, smiling.  And on we marched to Metro, a multi-colored canopy above my head. 

I might not have gotten those ladies' names, but I will never forget how their small gesture changed my whole attitude.  Thank God for the kindness of strangers.

Happy running!