Strangers on the Road
I’ve rescued a number of turtles crossing the road during my years of Vespa scooter riding. Small, random acts of kindness. Aside from a snapping turtle that was moved by having him clamp down on the end of a long stick, these little guys are docile creatures. And perhaps thankful for a helping hand across a highway.
Random acts of kindness. It’s hard to talk about without seeming like you’re saying, “Look at how nice I am.” Looking back at the past week and all the acts of kindness have to do with money — a donation to the local food bank when the cashier at the grocery store asked if I wanted to donate. The same at Petco. Or a donation to the SPCA in return for some bake sale dog cookies.
I want to say that stopping to let pedestrians cross in front of my car, or letting someone pass or merge on the highway. But aren’t those really just driver responsibilities and not acts of kindness?
I’ve seen motorists completely stop traffic to allow a line of ducks cross a road. Or a child try to return a baby bird to an unseen nest. Almost as if it were instinctual. And then I see a man in town asking for change treated as invisible and wonder where the kindness is.
Living in a Fog
Some years ago I was riding through the mountains on a foggy, misty morning. The fog shrouds the world leaving a small picture with few details. Riding decisions are simple as things slow down. The environment demands more attention and the stress of speed and rushing are gone. Perhaps it’s in those moments that those random acts of kindness are possible. Otherwise there may be no time to engage them.
I’ve done that a few times as well. One of the advantages on a scooter-quick U-turn, park and rescue. Poor little guys seem like sitting ducks, er, turtles.
The scooter is absolutely great for the quick U-turns. For turtles, photos, missed turns or food establishments!
I felt very guilty last weekend. A group of Girl Scouts where at the grocery store hawking their wares and I acted as though I didn’t see them. I have been informed I have bought enough for the year already. I swear there must be some kind of hobo marking infant of my house that the old man in this house is a sucker for kids selling fund raisers. For me there is a direct correlation between being nice well mannered human and random acts of kindness. Not to say you can’t be rough around the edges and not fit the proceeding description.
I’m generally a sucker for kids selling stuff if they have the loot with them. And especially cookies. I think it’s a good thing to be a sucker in the manner you describe. Bravo.
Random acts of kindness or perhaps….paying it forward, adding positive deposit amounts into one’s Karma account for use later?
Makes sense. Or maybe donate the account to someone else in need…
Sometimes I like to engage in acts of common courtesy. Letting people in from a side street in traffic, giving people room to merge on the highway and not using my horn when someone lingers at a traffic light before moving. Courtesy is so lacking these days.
I agree Jim that the little acts of courtesy, on the road or otherwise, helps soften an otherwise rough world.
That shot of you in the fog is really, really, really good. Wow!
I made that photo before I had the gear Bob Leong suggested. Big aluminum Tilt-all tripod and the camera on self-timer. Took a couple runs back and forth to get what I wanted. I remember the ride — a lovely wet warm morning in the mountains.
Are you a turtle? You bet your sweet a** I am!
Land turtles have a direction of scent to go to water, across hills and fields
and yes across country roads, and wider. Some get crushed in the process, some don’t. And some are hurried on their journey by thoughtful homosapiens to their other destination, Just make sure you point the correct end in the proper direction, shelled turtles all tend to look similar…
Poor old turtles in the racing modern world. I feel a duty to propelling them on to the proper direction…