I'm continually amazed by the kindness of the people in Detroit and Ohio. This afternoon I pulled into the Ohio Turnpike Tolls on my way out of Ohio. There was an elderly woman at the toll booth asking the Toll Taker for what looked like directions. My first reaction, I am ashamed to say was irritation. But then I told myself to chill out and relax, which I did. Shortly after another car pulled up in line behind me. I tensed up waiting for the expletives and honking to start. But guess what, no one honked. After a few more minutes the woman left the toll booth and promptly pulled a U turn into the opposite oncoming lanes. I was able to safely maneuver around her and watched as the other cars stopped and patiently let her make her move.
Giant Mushroom on my front lawn
Later that day as I approached a red light, I noticed a homeless man with a cardboard sign in my lane. I instinctively changed lanes so that I wouldn't have to deal with him at the read light. To my amazement, a US Postal delivery truck that was in the lane nearest the man, stopped her truck, got out of the truck, opened the back of the truck and handed the man a bag which looked like sandwiches. As the light turned green and I proceeded through the intersection I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a second car stop in next to the man and hand him something, possibly change.
Another giant mushroom on my front lawn!
I could excuse myself for avoiding the man by rationalizing that I am a woman in an unfamiliar city travelling alone.
But the sad truth is that my heart has been hardened and I have become insensitive to the misfortunes of others. I just hope that it's not to late for me to be a human being once again and extend a helping hand rather than shrinking away from those in need.
Detroit has much to teach me.
