A Random Act of Kindness

Continuing from a previous theme...

I was walking into the Tube station at Victoria Station after purchasing The Independent (an excellent newspaper to rival The Economist) when I noticed a rather elderly lady with a walker trying to make her way down the stairs and into the Underground. She was having a bit of trouble, though, because (1) she was frail and the walker, which she would have had to carry herself, was more than half her size, (2) there was an exceptionally large black man talking on his cell phone about two steps down from her, leaning against the handrail, and (3) the whole stair leading down was packed with people, so there was no easy way to go around. She obviously needed the rail, but the man was taking absolutely no notice of her. The old woman was tentative, unsure of how she should best approach the menacing downward climb.

Out of the blue, and at exactly the right time, a young woman with blue jeans and a dark brown vest, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail (at least, I think it was), made her way back up the stairs toward the older lady. She asked her if she needed help carrying the walker. The answer was yes, with a heartfelt thank you and twinkling eyes. This help from the kind stranger gave her more freedom to manoeuvre around the obstructive black man.

The two women made their way to the bottom of the stair, at which point the younger of the two gave back to the other her walker.
Seeing this random act of kindness warmed my heart, simply because the young woman really had no need to try and push against the crowd to help someone who, in all odds, she would never see again. The fact is, the young woman did help she who needed it. When no one else knew or cared, she stepped in and did something so simple, but yet so immensely beneficial to the older woman.

The power that such simple deeds have to move someone's heart is amazing. It makes me wonder whether I would have done the same as that girl had she not been there. To think that I might not have is appalling.

If everyone could act as that girl in the Tube did, I am sure this world would be a much better, much happier, and much kinder place.