I’m walking down 51st Street to catch the 6:22 train home.
A migraine has been throbbing since 11 am.
It’s progressively clawing at my attention.
And sawing at my patience.
3:30 am insomnia?
Skipping lunch?
This diet is going to kill me.
I find an open seat.
I grab my ticket from my bag.
And set my coat and bag overhead.
I slump into the window seat and rest my head against the window.
I close my eyes.
Give me 10 minutes. Please. Just 10. And, let this pain evaporate.
The train pulls out of Grand Central.
I drift away with the clickety clack of the train.
I awake to the conductor calling for tickets.
I hand my ticket to her.
She smiles, and hands it back.
She tells me she’ll be back and moves on to the other passengers.
I look down. It’s the receipt instead of the ticket.
Flustered. I apologize to my seatmate.
I stand up to reach for my bag.
I open the zipper to get at my wallet.
My pens.
My Blackberry.
My Coins.
My Index Cards.
My Eye Glasses Case.
More pens.
All in slow motion.
Tumbling.
Onto the floor.
Onto the seat.
Onto the shoulder and seat of the passenger in front of me.
This man turns and is annoyed.
He shifts to allow me to gather my things.
My seatmate, on the other hand, is on the move.
She bends to reach under the seat.
She gets up to walk across the aisle,
excuses herself to the passengers and reaches under two seats.
She returns to me with open and full hands bearing gifts.
And she’s beaming.
“Here you go.”
“I’m so sorry to trouble you.”
“Oh, no worries. It was no problem. Glad to help.”
I hand my ticket to the conductor who thanks me.
I lean my head back on the window.
I close my eyes.
And notice that my migraine is gone.
Tough day my friend, nice to know people still care in this world.
Yes Rannie, so true.
All the reasons I don’t diet 🙂 . Kidding asisde sorry you had a crappy day but glad to see there are individuals out there williing to help others.
Thanks Bim. Me too.
Migraine couldn’t take the tension, it seems 🙂
Exactly!
With a little help from a friendly seatmate, glad your attention have shifted somewhere else and walla… you are good as new. Rethink the diet plan, maybe?
That would be too easy and too rationale!
I think my migraine would have exploded the minute I had to bend down to pick things up off the floor.
I’m shocked mine didn’t!
Wonderful story of a wonderful human being! You would’ve done the same, I’m certain. From one migraine sufferer to another, I like your pain meds…wholistic and homeopathic. Glad your head got better.
Smiling. Thanks Bonnie.
Another migraine sufferer over – and am so glad yours is over. Happier still that your lousy day relieved by a kind soul on the way home..
Yes, soothing of the human kind…:)
I nearly got a migraine reading first part!
🙂 And I was living it!
Ahh.. Man, you should stop dieting as it’s not good for your health, not at all. So, Take Care! And, life is still full of people who are willing to help others.
P.S. This post was wonderful 🙂
Thanks Sonia. Not stopping on the diet. We are a mere 11 days away…
little gestures of kindness always have the greatest impact. what a lovely path you crossed. (p.s. – who cares about the money, but not your pens!!!!!!!)
Yes, can’t lose the PENS!
and all ends well……….
Yes, so it does.
I love the way you describe your experiences–i pictured both the grumpy seatmate snarl and scoot over, the smiling, helpful woman, very clearly. As for your diet–Richard Simmons (do you remember him) used to say even the word (die–t) is bad.
🙂 Thank you Carolann.
The kindness of strangers…a powerful balm and sometimes the sweetest kind. Great story, David, though I’m sorry that you had to suffer for your art.
And I just have to weigh in on another matter (if you’ll pardon the pun)–skipping lunch?! I know you’re trying to lose a few pounds, pal, but that’s self-sabotage right there!! A salad (little to no dressing), some crudite, a handful of unsalted almonds, a hard-boiled egg. You need fuel, my friend. Otherwise, you know what can happen….barrelling toward the cookie jar for a reprieve from the gnawing in your gut later in the day. Mama Lori is climbin’ off her soapbox now and going back to her knitting… 😉
Mama Lori. Feeding me her nutrition. I’m listening. All ears. Now for the application.
Really. It’s so much easier to be pleasant and helpful than annoyed and snarling. And then good stuff happens. A nice reminder for many of us – thank you 🙂
certainly does LaDona…
Sorry about the migraine. Migraines sure suck…suck the life out of you too.
Thank God for good souls that walk/sit amongst us! 🙂
Yes! They set the stage for the rest of us…
It’s amazing what a little bit of kindness can do…imagine what the world would be if we could all be capable of bestowing such gifts upon each other more freely. Don’t skip lunch…not good. Try fruit or a blender drink to give you a bit of energy for the afternoon. I have a great energy drink that I make myself pretty much every afternoon. Don’t skip lunch…but thanks for sharing this sweet story. 🙂
🙂 Thanks Carol. I can only imagine what you are stuffing into the blender.
Lol! David, nothing you’d be interested in, I’m sure. No meat and no cookies…blah, right?
I’m sure I wouldn’t want to eat blended up weeds and sticks. Very sure. Yes.
David – I’m going to send you a message with the recipe…and you have to TRY it!
OK Carol. Will try anything once. 🙂
The evidence is clear: little friendliness is the best migraine medicine. You were lucky because they don’t sell that at the pharmacy.
Yes, so true.