A Small Act of Empathy at the Airport

I consider myself a person with an empathetic personality. Whether it's in my work or personal life, I believe in the power of compassion and the social impact our actions can have on society. Recently, after attending a conference in Vegas, I found myself on my way to Toronto. As always, I arrived at the airport three hours early to ensure I had ample time before boarding, as the security process can sometimes be time-consuming.

Unfortunately, on this particular day, things didn't go as planned. The line for my boarding pass and screening process took longer than expected. With only 40 minutes remaining until my flight and boarding set to commence in just 10 minutes, I was in a rush to reach my gate, which happened to be Gate D. On top of that, I was feeling hungry, knowing that I wouldn't have a chance to eat anything once on the flight. The food joints in the airport were crowded, and it seemed like I would have to wait for over 20 minutes just to grab a quick bite.

Amidst the rush, I noticed a Dunkin' Donuts just five minutes away from my boarding gate. I decided to stop there, hoping to grab a coffee and a loaf of bread to satisfy my hunger. As I joined the line, there were already three to four people in front of me, and soon, the line grew longer behind me as well.

It was at this moment that I overheard a lady, whom I'll refer to as XYZ, around 60-65 years old, asking the people behind me if she could purchase a bottle of soda ahead of them as she really need it. She explained that her flight was boarding soon, and she was worried about missing it. To my surprise, each person in front of her denied her request, citing their own need to board the flight. I found myself silently observing this interaction, feeling a sense of helplessness radiating from XYZ, probably she wasn't feeling well. She was alone, and in that moment, she appeared vulnerable.

Finally, it was my turn to order, but the Dunkin' Donuts employee accidentally skipped me as the person behind me started placing their order. Normally, I wouldn't say anything and let it go, but something compelled me to speak up. I politely said, "Excuse me, it's actually my turn, ma'am." the lady seemed offended by my interruption, but she quickly apologized and urged me to go ahead. Without hesitation, I ordered bottle of soda and handed it to XYZ, encouraging her to go and board her flight.

She wanted to give me cash for the soda, but I reassured her, saying, "It's okay, I consider you like my own mother and my mom too sometime looks for soda during sugar or BP fluctuation. You can help someone else in the future. I don't have any change anyway." Her face lit up with a smile, and she blessed me before making her way to the boarding gate. I collected my coffee and loaf of bread and glanced back at the people who had denied XYZ's request. To my surprise, they were still giggling and appeared to have no sense of urgency.

Reflecting on that experience, I asked myself why I had intervened. The sight of XYZ reminded me that she could be my mother someday, struggling with a similar situation. Maybe she would need a small act of kindness like this, especially if she was not feeling well with fluctuating sugar levels or high blood pressure.

In sharing this story on this platform, I hope to inspire others to embrace a little help and care for those around them. Through these small acts, we can create positive change and shift our perceptions of the people we encounter every day.

Let humanity win, one small act of kindness at a time.

#socialconsciousimpact #humanitarian