Tonight, I was finishing up some reading at The Second Cup in Westdale when a young lady caught my eye as she was trying to find seating in the coffee shop.
A few minutes before, I was thinking about seating behaviour and how my sitting at a four person table – the only table open when I arrived – was taking away three other seats on a busy night.
Now, admittedly, what transpired next was initated by the fact that this young woman caught my eye; however, I hope this is not held too much against me.
I told her that I was just finishing off a page and would be leaving. She could have the table in a minute. I’m not sure what she did next; but about 15 seconds later she stated that she had left her cellphone in the cab she took to the coffee shop.
I’ve left my blackberry in taxi-cabs on one than more occasion and offered to help. I gave the lady my cellphone to call the cab company. They gave her the run around and told her to call her phone in order to reach the taxi driver. Her phone ringer was not on – so this solution would not work.
I called the taxi dispatcher and knew – having experience – what to say. Eventually, the dispatcher found the taxi and I arranged for the taxi to return with the phone.
After this, I proceeded to carry-on with leaving The Second Cup. The lady thanked me and was surprised that I had been so helpful. I told her I had misplaced my phone before and I would hope that others would be helpful to me. At that point, I left and made a point of not telling her my name.
I feel good when I help others, especially when they do not know who I am. I honestly believe that “anonymously” helping someone else encourages them to pass on the chain of good deeds and assist someone else.
I’m hopeful that the lady does not believe that I help her merely because she is attractive – this is not the case. However, I have to admit that the sequence of events started because of this fact.
The world is an interesting place and nothing is purely good or purely bad. I’m human and do my best to live well. That said, I have my faults and wonder if they taint my good deeds. In this case, I say no; in others, I do not know.