Twelve years ago, I was in Queanbeyan to see a specialist for my chronic health condition. I was headed home to Queensland early the next morning and had set my alarm to wake me for the taxi I had ordered to the airport. But when I woke up, I realised that I had forgotten to allow for daylight savings. I was now running an hour late to the airport, with no taxi to get me there.
I ordered another taxi and made my way out to wait in front of the motel, in despair that I might miss my flight. I stood on the dark footpath and spoke on the phone to my sister in Queensland about how I had missed my taxi and how unwell I felt. My health condition can affect my ability to think clearly, and I was telling her how my brain just wasn’t working that day. Then the taxi arrived – phew. Except, as the driver told me when I opened the door to get in, it wasn’t for me.
A well-dressed, professional-appearing man appeared out of the shadows and stood beside me. He must have overheard my conversation. The taxi was for him, but he asked the driver to take me too.
I gratefully got in and, in conversation, explained my situation to the man and driver, who were both very kind. At one point, the man said something to the driver, but I didn’t hear what. I noticed later that we were on the way to the airport and realised the gentleman had asked the driver not to drop him off at his destination, but to take me to the airport first. I tried to object but the man wouldn’t hear of it.
When we arrived, the gentleman wouldn’t let me pay for the fare, and even hopped out to escort me inside the terminal and make sure I knew where to go and what to do. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.
When you have a chronic health condition like mine, it can be an invisible illness. People tell me they wouldn’t know there’s anything wrong just from looking at me. It means you don’t always get empathy from people when you don’t feel well, but that man was all empathy.
I intended to write to a local newspaper to thank him at the time, but I became less well again and it fell to the back of my mind. I’m hoping he sees this now, after all these years. So to that well-dressed gentleman: thank you for being kind when so many others aren’t. Words can’t match the difference you made to my day.
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What’s the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you?
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