i should be working right now, but i thought i would share a really quick story.
today was one of those days that i genuinely enjoy living in milwaukee. the sun was shining, the lake was blue, it was windy - but fairly warm with a jacket on, and the seagulls were not terribly bothersome. as i was walking back from my internship (which i'll get to later) i thought to myself something along the lines of, "this is good. these are the days that i really enjoy milwaukee. i'm fairly content." and then i started thinking about the lakeside arts festival and all sorts of good things coming up in the summer and i was content and happy and pleased that i'd picked this city to live in. i had lunch, taking a little longer than i really should have and then got ready for my second job. as i'd walked about an hour today already, i thought i would wimp out and take the bus.
i waited in the cold wind (i had forgotten my jacket) with this spanish looking guy who had an indiscernable accent, sun-glasses, lovely thick black hair, and was sipping chai and i was still pretty content, pretty okay with life, even if i was freezing. the bus came, i whipped out my U-Pass and the bus driver glowered down at me and said, "that ain't gonna work." and i realized, to my horror, that my U-Pass had expired. i also realized that i had a $10 bill and no singles. and while i did have a lot of change, i knew (because i had counted last night) that i was just short of $2. i was the idiot standing in the front of the bus with no money. i feel sorry for those people. i would have been annoyed, but i was slightly embarrassed because i was "one of those people." so i got off the bus and prepared to walk another 25 minutes to campus. while i didn't really relish this thought, i comforted myself that exercise was good for me and another 20 minutes in the chilly air wouldn't kill me.
suddenly a stooped older man with long white hair, and a beard hurried off the bus behind me. "hey, wait!" he said and shoved two dollars at me, "take it. take it and hurry." i protested. i did. a couple of times. "no, no take it. hurry before it leaves," he said, and pressed the crisp bills into my hand. so i did. and i entered the bus and people looked sorry for me and my pathetic-ness. but what a kind old man! there are good people in the world! i would probably not have done that. i'd like to think that i would have given money to a poor ridiculous student, but i don't think i would have unless i knew them. i just know myself well, and although i am kind and i believe, a good person , i save my dollars for my mountain dew when i get to work, and i believe in taking care of yourself. i was just planning on walking to campus - i figured it was my own fault for being stupid. but this nice old man giving me two dollars allowed me to get to work on time so that i can make some money and eat this week. therefore, i have resolved, some day - whether it be sooner or later to pay it forward. and do some simple act of kindness for someone who needs bus fare or is $10 short at the grocery store. this goal can go right next to the "pay it forward" act that when i'm married i'm going to take under my wing some adorable single friend and pay for their meals occasionally - as my married friends do for me currently. hopefully then i can restore their faith in humanity, just as i was struck by the goodness of my stooped over white haired benefactor today.
emily
today was one of those days that i genuinely enjoy living in milwaukee. the sun was shining, the lake was blue, it was windy - but fairly warm with a jacket on, and the seagulls were not terribly bothersome. as i was walking back from my internship (which i'll get to later) i thought to myself something along the lines of, "this is good. these are the days that i really enjoy milwaukee. i'm fairly content." and then i started thinking about the lakeside arts festival and all sorts of good things coming up in the summer and i was content and happy and pleased that i'd picked this city to live in. i had lunch, taking a little longer than i really should have and then got ready for my second job. as i'd walked about an hour today already, i thought i would wimp out and take the bus.
i waited in the cold wind (i had forgotten my jacket) with this spanish looking guy who had an indiscernable accent, sun-glasses, lovely thick black hair, and was sipping chai and i was still pretty content, pretty okay with life, even if i was freezing. the bus came, i whipped out my U-Pass and the bus driver glowered down at me and said, "that ain't gonna work." and i realized, to my horror, that my U-Pass had expired. i also realized that i had a $10 bill and no singles. and while i did have a lot of change, i knew (because i had counted last night) that i was just short of $2. i was the idiot standing in the front of the bus with no money. i feel sorry for those people. i would have been annoyed, but i was slightly embarrassed because i was "one of those people." so i got off the bus and prepared to walk another 25 minutes to campus. while i didn't really relish this thought, i comforted myself that exercise was good for me and another 20 minutes in the chilly air wouldn't kill me.
suddenly a stooped older man with long white hair, and a beard hurried off the bus behind me. "hey, wait!" he said and shoved two dollars at me, "take it. take it and hurry." i protested. i did. a couple of times. "no, no take it. hurry before it leaves," he said, and pressed the crisp bills into my hand. so i did. and i entered the bus and people looked sorry for me and my pathetic-ness. but what a kind old man! there are good people in the world! i would probably not have done that. i'd like to think that i would have given money to a poor ridiculous student, but i don't think i would have unless i knew them. i just know myself well, and although i am kind and i believe, a good person , i save my dollars for my mountain dew when i get to work, and i believe in taking care of yourself. i was just planning on walking to campus - i figured it was my own fault for being stupid. but this nice old man giving me two dollars allowed me to get to work on time so that i can make some money and eat this week. therefore, i have resolved, some day - whether it be sooner or later to pay it forward. and do some simple act of kindness for someone who needs bus fare or is $10 short at the grocery store. this goal can go right next to the "pay it forward" act that when i'm married i'm going to take under my wing some adorable single friend and pay for their meals occasionally - as my married friends do for me currently. hopefully then i can restore their faith in humanity, just as i was struck by the goodness of my stooped over white haired benefactor today.
emily
It is so nice to know there are people in the world that are willing to do that. I just recently was confronted with a situation like that, and I didn't give the person the two dollars they needed. Makes you feel a little bad inside. I'm glad there are people better than me in the world. Hoorah for old men that are kind!
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