In Such Poor Health I Was Unable to Walk When a Man Essentially Lifted Me to a Bathroom.

Back when I was my late teens, my daily commute was on an crowded coach. It was perpetually crowded and invariably became without any seats once I stepped aboard.

On one specific day, I began feeling quite nauseous when the coach rocked around each corner. I continuously reassured myself to endure another few kilometres so the bus could reached my stop, so I could then sprint quickly for the nearest washroom to throw up.

We were coming down the street towards the destination as it dawned on me I wasn’t going to last. All of a sudden, it felt as if a veil came over me. My vision turned white and really quiet; like someone had muted everything. My mind raced, “I will lose consciousness”.

Fortunately, I stood near the front on the bus, so I took a couple of steps to ask the driver and asked the driver to pull over, informing him I needed to be sick. He opened the doors and I stumbled out on to the pavement.

I was resolved not to vomit in view of six lanes of traffic, so I forced myself up and began attempting to walk across to the park across the road, where I believed I’d at least be able to find some privacy among some shrubs to throw up. Yet I likely lost consciousness. I could feel my body but I was unable to walk or see clearly, leading me to start inching my way to the grassy area.

“Everything alright, love?”

Right then, I got scooped up. I sensed someone holding me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the unknown man that I required to get to a bathroom. Therefore, he almost carried me over to a close-by structure and placed me inside the women’s restroom. He inquired whether I required him to remain with me but I said no.

Not long after, I regained my composure to the point of sitting on the restroom floor and from the other side of the door came his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Do you need anything?” I wasn’t able to get up right away but I was able to thank him and shortly thereafter was able to move my legs. I got myself home and then spent the next few days recovering from what turned out to be a nasty tummy bug.

I never saw the stranger’s face – merely his legs along with a sizable steelwork tools container he held – but he saved me, during a time when I was completely helpless.

Often this world has a way of making you guarded, hostile, and combative. His act was the type of kindness that melts away that protective shell. He demonstrated that our default setting is towards kindness, a trait I cherish in other people.