Bodhisattva in a Blue Sedan
It's been a beautiful week here in the greater New York City area -- green and sunny but not too hot. It's perfect weather for what I call "exercise practice," which consists of a brisk walk of 2 1/3 miles or so in the morning. I have grandiose plans for incrementally building up to 5 kilometers a day. We'll see.
This morning, headset in place, I was chugging down the sidewalk in time to Mick Jagger feeling Sh-sh-sh-shattered. And a woman in a blue sedan pulled over and rolled down her window. I stopped to see what she wanted. I figured she would ask directions, which happens a lot. I must look like someone who knows where things are, to which I say, ha. Truth is, I give terrible directions. Good job being the Guide to Buddhism, huh?
Anyway, I leaned over to see what she wanted, and she didn't want directions at all. "I see you walking every morning, and I wanted to give you a high five," she said. So we high-fived and laughed. She drove on, and Mick and I continued down the sidewalk. Did I mention it's a beautiful day?
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I walk three miles almost every day along the beautiful White River in the Ozarks. I wave in appreciation when they move into the other lane for me, and I get so tickled by the different kinds of responses I get from drivers. Some lift an index finger off the steering wheel, some all four fingers, and every once in a while I get an exuberant wave and a great big grin. Always makes my day.
What a fantastic way to get a great start to your morning!
Ah, those are the shared moments that re-affirm that it is good to be part of the human race. Now, if we could only all slow down out of the rat race, so as to really enjoy the human race again….
Great story, Barbara! And it’s a great reminder to all of us, as well.
When you have that impulse to say something kind to a stranger, don’t stifle it! Go ahead, make someone’s day!
That’s great! I live out in the suburbs of the suburbs, so we don’t much traffic through our neighborhood (except for neighbors and construction workers). If someone did that out here I would think they were a little “off”, but in the city…that’s really cool! I’m glad to see that there are still some nice people on this planet.
Barbara, how great is this? I have to admit that when your story started to turn toward a woman stopping her car, I was expecting some kind of rudeness or confusion out of her. I suppose that says something about how many inspirational stories I’ve read lately!
What a great little moment in your life, I got a butterfly feeling in my chest just reading about it. Sometimes it’s great to be alive and it’s those crazy little things that make it count.
I love when that happens. A few years ago, I got the crazy idea to ride my bicycle around parts of the country. The trip was amazing, mostly due to the incredible strangers who cheered me on as I pedaled through their towns. On more than one occasion, I ate at diners and dives where the waitress said “It’s on me, because I think what you are doing is cool.” I even had one woman chase me down in a Piggly Wiggly grocery, and insist that I stay at her house that evening. She told me that twenty years earlier, her own daughter had bicycled around the country, and she had been waiting all that time to return the kindness others had showed her daughter. The adventure restored my faith in the goodness of people.
I loved reading this story. I am having a rotten week, and you have restored my faith in humanity. Thank you!
Lovely story. Thanks.
Barbara, I loved that this blog was just about you your new friend
and your beautiful day! I sometimes feel depersonalized even though Im here to be real. thanks for a peek in to your “real” life!