I originally posted this a year ago but with the polarized politics of this country, senseless acts of violence and daily tales of sexual harassment I think an encore is in order.
In New York, specifically Manhattan we live in extremely close quarters to one another. The sidewalks are clogged and often hard to maneuver. Getting around town is notoriously difficult. Heavy traffic and unreliable public transportation literally puts you in the face of your fellow riders. But despite the discomforts, inconvenience and the unease of the times, I still bear witness to random acts of kindness everyday in my city.
These are the little things that never make it to the news but happen everyday. Like the tall black teen with dreadlocks offering his arm for support to a tiny, elderly white woman. When I encountered them the woman was happily chatting away while the teen politely listened. A group of his friends trailed a short distance behind and snickered as he escorted her down the street. He didn’t seem to care. It was such a charming scene I wanted to take a picture but I felt it was too intrusive and might break the spell.
In the park across the street an older gentleman hits tennis balls against the handball wall early every morning. His swing is sheer poetry. In his youth he was a professional tennis player. My daughter passes him on her way to the bus for school each morning, they always exchange hellos and he’s offered her lessons anytime.
Walking through the park today I passed a saxophonist putting on a private concert for a toddler who was passing by and became fascinated with the music.
Outside of Bergdorf Goodman I encountered police happy to share a little laugh with me about the irony of a heavy police presence among the newly minted Christmas Windows.
These small encounters among strangers, these acts of kindness and civility are what make me love this city, and this was just today.
