Good Luck, Bad Luck and the Kindness of Strangers – six years ago

This story came to mind in our current state of world unrest, doom and gloom, misplaced fear of strangers, the outcome of elections, and wars worldwide.  It happened in September 2018. Today, I was thinking about the many kindnesses I have received in my lifetime, including this incident.  Furthurmore, my son sent me a photo yesterday of my 70th birthday and I was wearing the glasses that saved my eyesight on that fateful day in New York City.

I am re-posting it here because I don’t want to forget it, and I think it can remind us all of the kindness of strangers.

Sept 2018, New York City

I am in New York City with the mother of my two oldest grandchildren. Nancy just ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday, and while she was running through the five Boroughs, I was walking in the charming West Village. The day was beautiful – clear skies, sunny and warm. Shortly before noon, as I was close to a café for lunch, I tripped on I know not what. The outcome was that I was sprawled, partially face down, on a New York City sidewalk with broken glasses, shattered screen on my iPhone, in shock, scraped and bruised in various places and not sure if my limbs were still working.

I looked up, and two young men in their 20s were bent over me, kindly checking to see what they could do. Someone else had called an ambulance, which I asked to be cancelled. I knew I was not in a life-threatening situation and needed to get my bearings. In the meantime, others dashed over with offers of assistance. Even in my shocked state, I was surprised at all the offers of help.

My Legs Still Worked

Once I caught my breath and moved my legs, I breathed a sigh of relief. My two helpers assisted me in sitting up, and we assessed the situation. Another woman ran out of her shop to invite me inside for a cup of tea.

In the meantime, 50,000 runners were running; 1,000,000 people were cheering them on; twenty bands were playing in just one of the five Boroughs, and I was being cared for by strangers in a city of almost 9 million.  It was surreal. When I decided my best bet was to go back to my hotel and ice my face for the afternoon, one of my helpers ordered an Uber and would not allow me to reimburse him. “It’s the least we can do,” the smiling and generous pair said practically in unison.  As I climbed into Uber, I overheard one of them instructing the driver about my well-being.  It was a massive comfort at a vulnerable time, and I will never see them again.

The Metropolitan Community Hospital

Later on, when it became apparent that I would need to go to the hospital, a similar string of events unfolded. Nancy walked in the door from her arduous run – tired, sore and hungry, quickly changed and came with me. My travel insurance contact, Kelly, was kind, beneficial and reassuring. She went out of her way to research where I should go and how to navigate the system. Every encounter at the hospital over the next day and a half followed suit. I was amazed at the entire experience. Being in a New York City emergency room on a Sunday night and witnessing the tragedies coming and going, the competence and the kindness of all the medical professionals and policemen towards their fellow human beings have inspired me for the rest of my days.

It turned out that I did have two tiny facial fractures and that my broken and scrapped glasses had saved my eye, as told to me by three different specialists. How fortunate was that? I am scary to look at it right now, but I will heal, and I can see again thanks to Cohen’s Optical.

Here’s the thing.

Beyond the injuries, the difficulty of impaired sight was the biggest challenge. Furthurmore, it affected everything I needed to do and mightily disturbed my equilibrium. I had called several optical stores, but no one was going to be able to put together glasses for me in the short time I was there. I imagined how I might make my way through airports, changing planes, customs, etc. when Nancy once again came to my rescue.

She found Cohen’s, and to my complete surprise, they were able to help me out. Last night at 6:00, I got glasses. So this morning, I can see again to travel home. George at Cohen’s exceeded expectations to make this happen, and I thank him.

Why do I tell you this story?

Not for sympathy. It could have been so much worse. But to remind all of us that for all the dark news that we are flooded with, in times of trouble, helping hands are there. This has been 100% my experience of living. It doesn’t mean everyone is helpful. It means that when things go wrong, kind people always appear on the scene, wherever you are, even in the middle of bustling New York City. Even when we are by ourselves, we are not alone.

This incident reassured me once again. So, to all the kind strangers who reached out to me, I owe a debt of gratitude. It is my privilege and obligation to pass it on whenever possible. My confidence remains intact and thoroughly renewed during uncertainty in the world, and I am grateful.

Notes

 1:)At the same time, I also got to see the Broadway play Come from Away. If you want to see the breadth and depth of human compassion and action, don’t miss a chance to see this remarkable true story when it comes to your town. It was good timing for me.

 2:)When undergoing cancer treatment, I wrote a piece called Good Luck Bad Luck – Who Knows? You are welcome to read it here.

3:) The postcard is thanks to Patricia Ryan Madson. The banner photo is not what I initially used, but I prefer this one because of the rain. My daughter or son-in-law took it on a spring break visit.

4:) I must mention that during our stay in the hospital that evening, a nurse came to our side with sandwiches, drinks, and apples.”You two must be hungry and tired,” she said smilingly. It shattered all stereotypes about the disinterest of people who live in large cities. 

5:) Thank you for coming by, and I hope you enjoy the final days of September. I have been blessed with many kindnesses this month. I can never balance that scale. Warmly, Trudy