Random Acts of Kindness

Every now and then in this big bad city (London), something happens that restores your faith in human beings, and lessens the feelings of isolation that normally dominate. It can be someone helping with a pram or a suitcase, picking someone up if they've fallen, or a joke cracked in an elevator full of strangers that makes everyone laugh. Something like this happened today.

I had just got on to the Tube, on my way to a lecture, when the man sitting next to me got up and leaned across to a woman facing us. He handed her something, and initially, because I couldn't see what he had given her, I thought he was just another crazy.

But then I realised he had given her a couple of plasters; I looked down and saw that her feet were bleeding where her shoes had been rubbing the skin. I looked closer and realised that the woman had been - and possibly still was - crying.

And this one tiny act, whereby someone happened to have a couple of plasters, and he decided this woman was in need of a little bit of help, brought a smile to her face, through whatever sadness she was facing.

A reminder that even in London, a city notorious for being unfriendly and cold, unsociable and lacking in community spirit, people will still help out a stranger.




(I realise it has been over 5 months since I last posted, and that I haven't actually updated properly on anything since April. In a nutshell, Korea was awesome, I left reluctantly in August, and moved to London in September to start the masters. I'm now doing it part-time, whilst working in a restaurant - and looking for a new part-time job - and learning Korean. Will attempt to write about the more interesting parts of the last few months in Korea, and will hopefully be updating a bit more often about life as it is now. Although since it's been so long since I've written, I wonder if anyone will even notice I'm back!)