How the cycle of kindness keeps on, rolling, rolling, rolling in the world that we live, translated…
One day, I rode on the bus from Taipei to Sinchuang, back then, it was the afternoon rush hour, and, it was, a long ride, I didn’t have a seat, and so, I’d, moved myself into the aisle at the back of the bus, perhaps it was because I was, too fatigued, I’d, put my head down to the back of someone’s seat to rest.
As the bus got onto Zhongxing Bridge, someone patted back shoulders, I’d originally thought I was, blocking someone’s way, I’d turned around, it was, a young girl. She’d told me, gently, “You can have a seat over there.” I’m only a little over forty years of age, still not considered elderly yet, I’m sure, she must’ve seen how tired I was, and was about to get off the bus soon, so that was why she’d, let up her seat to me.
As the bus sped past Sanchong, entered into Sinchuang, I’d opened my eyes every now and then, and found, that the girl who’d let her seat up for me hadn’t gotten off yet, I’d made a wish right then and there, if someone is in need of help from the future, I will, be like her, lend a helping hand.
Last week I’d gone to the middle strip of the island, it was the two-day weekends, and the train was jam packed. A fashionable migrant worker, perhaps, she had grown, too weary, she’d, leaned onto the board separating the trains, with the train moving onward slowly, her body sank down, and finally, she’d, squatted down. She seemed to be struggling, whether or not, to sacrifice her graceful dress, to just, find a seat on the floorboards.
As she’d finally lost to her own fatigue, before she’d decided to sit down, I’d, pulled a piece of newspaper I’d had for her, she’d flashed me a smile, and used her awkward Chinese, “Sir, thank you!”, then, pulled out a bottle of coffee, to give to me.
Although I don’t drink coffee, I’d not wanted, to turn it away, because I’d found, how wonderful the exchange between people can be. And thankfully, I’d gotten into the habits of buying a copy of United Daily News every single day, and, I would’ve, never imagined, that the newspaper not only added to my knowledge of the world, it could also, help someone in need.
Then, I got off at Changwha, while she kept riding to Taichung.
As I got out of the station, I’d bumped into two male migrant workers, standing in front of the ticketing machines, and started trying to talk to an elderly woman. I couldn’t help, but moved closer, to see what the fuss was, all about, and the elderly woman, she didn’t want to miss her ride, so, she’d, left these two migrant workers to me.
These two gentlemen wanted to buy the tickets, but their pronunciation was off, I’d only heard that the very first word of the station was, “Da”, but, there were, three stations with the starting character of “Da”, and, as they’d gotten into discussions a long time, still unsettled, and, thankfully, they spelled out, “Dacun”, I’d finally understood, that they’d wanted to go to “Dacun” station, and bought the tickets for them.
As I left, thanked me again, and waved goodbye to me, and, they managed, to turn me into the most beautiful scenery in Taiwan. I hope, that this kindness that was generated inside the trains, can keep on rolling along, without end.
And so, this is, how kindness can be, infectious, because you’d been shown some kindness by some unknown stranger, it’d, kick-started that cycle of kindness for you, and, because you were grateful of the help you’d received from someone, you were, compelled, to show more kindness to someone who was in need, and this, is something small that we can do every single day, we don’t need to get out of our way, to pass around this cycle of kindness at all…
Life, the Obstacle Course 