As my first post, I considered this kindness, bestowed upon me today, as the perfect introduction to my blog.
After a seemingly long, not particularly stimulating day at work, I boarded the subway home. It was a relatively empty subway car. Typically, I scan the car, find a desirable seat (if there is one), and park myself. The key to that sentence was "scan". Like many, I rarely look at people's faces, actually look at them.
I sat and for just a split second, I looked at the man across from me - - and he smiled. It was brief, but it was there. I did a double-take, looked at him again - - and smiled back.
This man, this stranger in working man's jeans with a smallish cooler-sized lunch container on the floor between his legs, was human enough to make eye contact with me, and smile. He didn't have to. Maybe he sensed my humdrum. Maybe he saw disinterest in me, or sadness, or worse - - maybe he saw indifference.
His smile was just the kindness I needed. It reminded me that people can make a difference. It reminded me that observation of the world around us, can make all the difference - - or maybe just enough of a difference to get us through the rest of the day.
It reminded me that kindness happens everywhere.
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