They Still Exist

Yesterday was such a fantastic day. There was nothing major that happened to make it such a great day, just a bunch of little things that kept me smiling all day long. There was one thing that stood out though and made my day. On my way out of a building a man was walking out ahead of me. He was far enough ahead that it would have been unreasonable to expect him to wait and open the door for me. It would have been a little awkward even. So I didn't think anything of it when he walked through the doors and kept going. Apparently he had seen me though. Once outside, he crossed in front of all the doors over to where the button was for the automatic door entrance and pressed the button. The fact that there was an accessible door means it really wasn't necessary for him to hold the door or help me in anyway.

What took this man next to no effort and literally 1 extra second was such an amazing gesture in my eyes. While it isn't difficult for me to press a button on the wall and have the door open, it does require me to stop walking completely so I can take a hand off my crutch and press the button. The door then takes a few seconds to open and I have to wait until it opens fully before I can walk through. So even though it is only saving me a couple seconds, having one less struggle or step to go through for such a common daily action is what makes the difference. It's the same kind of feeling you get when you press the elevator button and the doors open instantly because it's already there. Not having to wait those couple seconds while it travels to your floor is glorious.

The best part of this small action is the confirmation that people like him still exist. So many people tune out everything and anyone else around them. Their only concern is getting from point A to point B. I don't always get a seat on the subway. I've had people let doors swing closed behind them and into me. Most of the time the city is a "fend for yourself" kind of place. I accept this but it's nice to see there are still kind individuals out there who know it doesn't take a lot of effort to show a little compassion and be aware of those around them. It's often just the decent thing to do.