How nice, I thought, I'd like to read that. It's always nice to read about when nice things happen to people. Especially, as we mostly hear about all the bad stuff that happens to people. I followed the link and landed on GivesMeHope.com. At first I was thinking, oh god, another religious Web site with people finding hope in god, but it wasn't. Instead it was a site for people who found hope in other people.
I quickly went from just reading the one entry that had gotten me there to scrolling through all the entries, and getting a little teary-eyed at some of them.
GivesMeHope.com is a site that allows people to post their own personal stories about experiences they've had that have given them back hope. Some are a bit far out and have to do with "miracles," and some seem more based on hearsay and urban myth. But most are about people being good and kind and wonderful to other people. The kind of stories we need more of. The kind of stories that inspire us to be better people.
Here's one such story that I read on the site:
My youngest brother died unexpectedly while I was studying abroad. A cab driver found me crying alone in a phone booth after midnight. He offered me help and a cup of tea, arranged a 73+ kilometer cab ride for me so I could make my morning flight home. I never even learned his name.
But before you think this stuff only happens to other people, or hardly ever, or maybe the stories aren't even true. Let me tell you about my own experience with someone who gave me hope.
On the way back from a work trip, I had to fly through Miami airport. When I got there in early evening I found out my flight to Newark had been canceled and I was being rerouted to JFK airport. I had several hours to wait and had not eaten since early afternoon. I was tired and annoyed at American Airlines; I had not had a good business trip and had gotten some news that morning that had upset me.
I went to the terminal where my flight was departing from and went to get some food at one of the food stands. I had no cash because ATMs in the place I'd been for the business trip had been few and far between and I had never found one. Nor did there seem to be one inside the terminal. When I tried to use my credit card I was told the stand only took cash. So I tried another place, only cash. At this point I was practically shaking from hunger and emotional exhaustion.
I finally figured I'd go into the restaurant/bar even though I knew that would be more expensive. As I was ordering the waiter told me all the credit card processing abilities in the entire terminal were down and they could only take cash. I burst into tears. A man at the table next to mine gave me some napkins and told me he'd pay for my food if I needed it. At the same time the waiter brought me some water and told me that he could take an imprint of my credit card and then charge me later. He said a lot of people don't like to do that though because it's easier for the number to be stolen that way. I told the man at the table next to mine thank you for the offer but I would do the credit card imprint.
I called a friend, told her what was happening and began crying hysterically again. As I was talking the waiter came over with my food. He came back a few minutes later and said the man who had been sitting next to me had already paid for my meal, and then the waiter handed me a $20 bill. The man had asked the waiter to give it to me because he could see I was having some kind of trouble and he felt I needed it. The man had already left the restaurant. When I turned to look for him he was standing outside making sure the waiter had given me the money. He smiled and nodded at me when I signalled my ecstatic thanks and then he walked away.
I will never know that man's name. I will never be able to truly thank him. But he gave me hope that there are still good people in the world. When I got back home and back to easy access to an ATM, I donated $20 to charity. Since that day I've tried to remember him whenever I'm in a situation where I can help others.
Have you ever had a similar experience? Has somebody given you hope? Have you given somebody else hope?
But before you think this stuff only happens to other people, or hardly ever, or maybe the stories aren't even true. Let me tell you about my own experience with someone who gave me hope.
On the way back from a work trip, I had to fly through Miami airport. When I got there in early evening I found out my flight to Newark had been canceled and I was being rerouted to JFK airport. I had several hours to wait and had not eaten since early afternoon. I was tired and annoyed at American Airlines; I had not had a good business trip and had gotten some news that morning that had upset me.
I went to the terminal where my flight was departing from and went to get some food at one of the food stands. I had no cash because ATMs in the place I'd been for the business trip had been few and far between and I had never found one. Nor did there seem to be one inside the terminal. When I tried to use my credit card I was told the stand only took cash. So I tried another place, only cash. At this point I was practically shaking from hunger and emotional exhaustion.
I finally figured I'd go into the restaurant/bar even though I knew that would be more expensive. As I was ordering the waiter told me all the credit card processing abilities in the entire terminal were down and they could only take cash. I burst into tears. A man at the table next to mine gave me some napkins and told me he'd pay for my food if I needed it. At the same time the waiter brought me some water and told me that he could take an imprint of my credit card and then charge me later. He said a lot of people don't like to do that though because it's easier for the number to be stolen that way. I told the man at the table next to mine thank you for the offer but I would do the credit card imprint.
I called a friend, told her what was happening and began crying hysterically again. As I was talking the waiter came over with my food. He came back a few minutes later and said the man who had been sitting next to me had already paid for my meal, and then the waiter handed me a $20 bill. The man had asked the waiter to give it to me because he could see I was having some kind of trouble and he felt I needed it. The man had already left the restaurant. When I turned to look for him he was standing outside making sure the waiter had given me the money. He smiled and nodded at me when I signalled my ecstatic thanks and then he walked away.
I will never know that man's name. I will never be able to truly thank him. But he gave me hope that there are still good people in the world. When I got back home and back to easy access to an ATM, I donated $20 to charity. Since that day I've tried to remember him whenever I'm in a situation where I can help others.
Have you ever had a similar experience? Has somebody given you hope? Have you given somebody else hope?
I am the friend she called and she was so upset. I had moved that day into a new place and had no internet or Tv so was so happy to hear from her. She was so upset, we talked until her flight was called. Traveling for work is not always fun. You miss you home, your loved ones. It is lonely on the road..Glad I was there for her. Will be for a long time.
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