niceties

two weeks ago, when i was rushing out of the office to make my v-day dinner on time, i stopped when i saw a volunteer at the copier with a distraught expression on her face.  she was attempting to make 2-sided copies but they had come out with just the first side copied, so was trying to figure out how to copy page 2 on the backside.  after a bit of trial and error on my part, we were successful (and managed only to waste 2 sheets of paper rather than the entire pile).  she thanked me profusely and the beaming look she gave me was all i needed to realize that those few minutes were well worth being later than i already was.

i had seen this volunteer around the office and spoken to her a few times, but even now i still don't know her name.

how often do we stop to help a stranger?  i would like to believe that it is commonplace and people do all the time.  yet my husband has said before that he thinks i am somewhat of an exception.

when i interviewed for my first full-time job, after a rigorous interview session, the poker-faced manager said she would walk me down.  as we stepped into the elevator, i was convinced that i didn't get the job.  then from behind, i heard a voice: "hey, don't you work at _____ hospital?"  surprised, i turned around to see the late-shift custodian from the hospital i worked at part-time.  i would talk to him every time he came by or when i passed him in the hall getting a snack or doing my rounds.  he would share about his family and struggles.  it just so happened that he also worked as a maintenance person at the office where i was interviewing (which would become my future employer after all).  we had a brief conversation in front of the manager that day, but my husband believes it showed my character.  for someone to remember me from another facility and recognize me in a different setting in different clothes, he says that i must have made an impression.  that i'm a nice person.

i had another interesting incident during my interview for my current employer.  as i walked in, i noticed a car with its lights on in the front parking lot.  i asked the person at the front desk if there was an intercom system where it could be broadcast.  she took the license plate number down and i went into my interview.  afterwards, when the manager walked me back into the lobby, the woman at the front desk approached me with a thank you and to tell me that the person who's car it was had been extremely grateful.  the manager inquired what that was all about, and after explaining it, she remarked that that had been a nice thing to do.

maybe it's all coincidence or maybe being "nice" has landed me a couple jobs.. but i'd like to believe that maybe i just saved someone a car battery or listened or gave up a few minutes of my time for a greater good.  to be a good samaritan.  because lending a hand is just that: helping someone who needs it when they haven't asked; giving without looking back.