People Are Good

I’m a news junkie.  I know that it’s not great for my blood pressure--especially with everything that’s going on in today’s world—but I watch it and listen to it anyway.  I love to keep abreast of what’s going on around me in my local community, our nation, and the world.  Unfortunately, there is some truth in the old saying about the news media— “If it bleeds, it leads”.  If I am not careful, I will get sucked into the daily and weekly news cycles and believe that all the killing/injuring/cheating /screaming/disrespecting is normal and happens everywhere to everyone all the time. 

It is not and does not. 

I can’t physically move around like I once did.  Due to a genetic “happening” in my body, my stride and balance are not as fluid as they once were.  I walk stiffly and slowly.  I use a cane.  Now, I’m not looking for sympathy…it is what it is...but I realize that I don’t move around like most people and kind of stand out in a crowd. 

One of the many positive things that has come from my mobility issues is that I now view people differently.  On a few occasions, I have stumbled and not-so-gracefully fallen.  Some of my falls happened in public—coming out of the grocery store, going into a restaurant, and exiting from a business appointment to name a few.  On every occasion, complete strangers have come up and offered their assistance.  Complete strangers.  Never seen them before in my life.  People of all ages with different backgrounds, beliefs and “looks” than me.  It is humbling and uplifting (no pun intended) at the same time.

Whether I need it or not, people that I do not know and probably will never see again hold the door open for me.  That simple act is totally unexpected and very nice.

I wrote all of that to say this—don’t believe everything you see, read, or hear.  When all is said and done, human decency is alive and well.