Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that this was not a good winter in New England. I’ve lived up here for almost fifteen years, and I have never seen this much snow in my life. I’ve written about how I prepare for work, and some of the unique challenges that we deal with here in New England including factors we must take into when treating a patient in the dead of winter. Today though, I want to talk about something else: random acts of kindness by strangers.
1. The Free Coffee — I can’t start my day without a coffee in my hand. I’ve got my routine down: shower, get dressed, make sure my bag is packed and head out the door. It doesn’t matter if I’m working a day shift or a night shift, things always seem to roll the same way.
Once I’m out the door, my stop before work is at the convenience store that is right on my way to work. I always grab my large Green Mountain Roasters coffee, and head to the counter to pay my $2. I never expect anything free, but much to my surprise, somewhere in the middle of the dead of winter, something changed. “You’re all set, man. Coffee’s free for you.” I have rarely paid for a coffee there since, and always “toast” them and throw the person behind the counter a “thank you” as I head out the door.
2. “Hey man, he’s a Paramedic.” – Â I had to work on the night of what was probably the worst storm that we saw all winter. My house is on a back street that is off of a back street in the city, so it usually takes a good sixteen hours before I see a plow. This day, was no exception. I thought about calling into work and getting picked up, but instead decided to brave the ride in my Jetta. Oops.
I made it to the end of my block, and turned onto the street that leads out to the main drag, only to find two cars down at the end stuck. Knowing that I’d never get by, I decided to try and turn around. What happened? I got stuck too.
I tried rocking the car, I tried digging some snow out from under my tires, but I wasn’t going anywhere without help. I like to layer up on the overnights, so on this night, just like every other one that is under 50 degrees, I was sporting my job shirt, complete with the large “PARAMEDIC” banner across the back. While I struggled to move my car, I noticed that the cars at the end of the street had gotten themselves clear, and now one of them was coming towards me.
As I worked on getting my car free (which wasn’t going well) I just gave the guys a shrug. The passenger got out of his car and looked at his friend. “Come on, man, he’s a Paramedic.” The two guys got out of the car and helped push me free. I shook their hands and was on my way to work.
3. “You have to get to work!” – My neighbor is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. We always exchange pleasantries, but this winter, snow removal became the neighborhood’s job, instead of just one person’s. On many a morning, I would head out my door to find my driveway already snow blown, and my car cleared out and ready to head in. My neighbor would finish his walk, and just work his way down and do mine too. I saw him outside one day, and thanked him for everything he did.
“Your job is important. You might have to come help us someday. You have to get to work!”
4. A Simple Thank You — Finally, I was driving one of my employees to a ceremony where he was going to be recognized for a heroic rescue that he was part of. We were sitting at a light in our company’s Expedition when a news paper delivery truck pulled up next to us. The guy driving opened his door and honked his horn at us. We rolled down our window and asked him what we could do for him.
“I just wanted to thank you guys for everything you do! You guys saved my daughter last year. She’d be dead if it wasn’t for you. You don’t get the credit you deserve, and I’m sure that people don’t say ‘thank you’ enough, so from my whole family, ‘thank you!’”
We told him that his words meant a lot to us, and went on our way.
We don’t need ticker tape parades or key to the city ceremonies to realize the difference we make in people’s lives. Sometimes, it’s just those simple acts of kindness that make you walk a little taller and make your day that much better.