New York City. Busy sidewalks. Tourists. Baby strollers. Dogs. People down on their luck. And me.
As I was walking home from the subway last week, I saw a woman – almost in slow motion – trip over the top of the sidewalk and fall to the ground. I was too far away to catch her or offer any support on her fall. But I, along with four other people, scurried over to make sure that she could stand on her own. Embarrassed, she said, “That’s what I get for texting and walking.”
Then, she hurriedly looked in her bag to make sure her wine bottle didn’t break, then to her phone to make sure her screen was intact. #Priorities #FirstWorldProblems. Once aware that her things were in place, she thanked the group of us that hurried to help her up.
My brain still has not been able to make sense of my response after my attempt at helping out. First, I felt her pain and embarrassment. I’ve been there – life splattered across the sidewalk, hoping no one saw. The feeling that really stuck with me, though, was a sense of wanting to do more. I had no problem sitting with her if she needed me to until she regained her composure, checking her legs and arms for scratch marks and to dust off any dirt or rocks. #MomMode I wanted her to take more of my time; I wanted to help more.
Now that I have been able to think about the experience, here are three thoughts that stick out for me:
How can I help?
When my brain processed what happened, I immediately started thinking of all the things I needed to do and could do to help. Do you see this happen for you? If so, what do you do with that feeling?
Use me
Now that I have processed what I can to do to help, tell me where to start. I’m ready!
Spread the love by helping out
Keep that energy going. If you see a need, meet it if you can, no matter where you are. The high I felt walking away from this instance of helping out, even though I barely did anything, was unmatched. Channeling that feeling into action is a wonderful thing.
This 90-second exchange made me feel like doing more good. If you feel the same, pledge now to Random Acts of Kindness. #TeamHuman
