Sat With Ren: Random Act Of Kindness

What's the most random act of kindness you've received from a stranger? 

"Sometimes miracles are just people with kind hearts." Do you agree with this quote? Because I definitely do. 

I used to apply to different jobs that were located far from where I live. Simply because I want to live independently. Everytime I got shorlisted and asked to show up for an interview, I always see to it that I was familiar with the place. I check first the map for the direction. I won't go there if I wasn't familiar with the place. 

One time I had an interview. I didn't hesitate to go there since I am not a stranger to the place anymore. I experienced living there for almost a month when I had my internship. Even so, I still checked the map to see the exact location of the place where I would go. It was a food chain, so it has many store locations. I was aware that there was one there, but I wasn't sure if that's where I was having my interview. When I checked the map, it pointed me to a different direction; not the one that I know, but just within the area.

When I arrived there, I had my breakfast first. On the opposite side of where I ate was one of the stores of the food establishment where I'll be having my interview. The one that I know, but as what the map said I won't be having my interview there. So after I ate I walked and searched for the address on my map. It wasn't my first time to use an online map, so I was confident with the directions it gave me. It said that I was supposed to head north, but while I was walking I could see that I was heading nowhere. It's already cul-de-sac. On my left it's the Department of Public Works and Highways when I head north. After that it's dead end already. On my right was where one of the food chains was located, but I didn't go there since that wasn't where the map pointed me at. 

When I reached the DPWH I saw people there and asked them about the address. They told me the direction on how I could get there. They said that I was supposed to ride a jeepney to get to the location. While I was walking away, a man riding on his motorcycle stopped beside me and told me he's going to take me to the jeepney station. But he needed to go to the gasoline station first. I admit, I was kinda nervous and dubious. I mean, we're both total strangers to each other and he offered me a ride. I didn't know if I could really trusted him. 

As reluctant as I was, I still hopped on his motorcycle. Mind you, I was wearing skirt that time plus the fact that I've never ridden a motorcycle before, so that was my first time. I was hopeless that time, so I thought he might be the only chance for me to get to my job interview on time. When we got to the jeepney station he didn't stop there instead he continued driving. I was still at ease for a few moments since I was still familiar with the place. But when he already took a couple of turns, I already had no idea where we were. So, I started to pray. I prayed that the man would really take me to where I was going; that we're really heading in the right direction. 

We roam around the place, but we haven't found the address that I told him. We stopped a few times and he asked some people that we saw on the street about the address. Which they pointed us to the one where we came from. As it turned out the food establishment where I was having my interview was the one that we already passed by. Since the map showed otherwise, I didn't bother to go there. 

Fortunately, the man offered me a ride. I had no idea how I would find out where it was hadn't he offered me a ride. I wasn't able to ask his name because I was already in a hurry when we reached the place. I just thanked and apologized to him for causing him delay. I know that my thank you wasn't enough to show him how I appreciated his presence in my life during that moment.  I felt ashamed with myself cause I didn't trust him right away. I kind of gave him a bad judgment. 

Even though I didn't pass the interview, I still felt fortunate that day for having found a kind-hearted stranger like him. In that moment I realized that you really have no right to judge a person. Sometimes God sends us an angel in the form a human. That's when miracle happens. There comes a time when a total stranger could give you the kindest gesture more than a friend could. You'd be surprised to find out that humanity is still present nowadays. Despite all the bad things that we see in the news about people doing heinous crimes, there are still people out there who posses a kind heart. They are the ones who are willing to lend a helping hand without expecting anything in return. This kind of people are sent by God as our angel in disguise. 

Even though we didn't get the chance to return them the favor they did for us, it's probably meant to serve as a reminder to us. A reminder to just pay it forward; to also give kindness to the people that we encounter along the way without expecting anything in return. As they say, "If you are helping someone and expecting anything in return, you're doing business, not kindness." God will be the one to give back to them a hundredfold blessings. 

I also want to share that one time when another stranger once again offered me a random act of kindness. It was again during one of my job interviews. I was inside the restroom of a restaurant. I was preparing myself for my interview. It was a "morning rush," so there were a couple of ladies who were also there. All of a sudden a woman— who I assumed was in her 40's— went beside me while I was checking myself in the mirror. She asked me where I was going. I told her I was going at a job interview. Surprisingly, she answered me with, "You can do it," then she gave me a heartwarming smile. I couldn't remember anymore what my answer to her was, but I will forever remember how she made me feel that time. She gave confidence. She made me trust myself that I could really pass that interview, which I did. I got another call for a second interview. Unfortunately, the second one didn't go well. But whatever, I think it's a privilege to have met a stranger like her. Perhaps it's in her nature to offer kind words to a total stranger, but to a stranger like me it meant something. The world would be a much better place to live if there are more people like her and the man on his motorcycle. As the saying goes, "Life is full of nice people. If you can't find one, be one."

au revoir. 😊