Let’s Be Kinder to Each Other – Even a Small Thing Can Make Someone’s Day Better

I don’t often write about personal things here. But yesterday I found myself in a situation I don’t want to keep to myself.

Anyone who knows the Central shopping centre knows it’s a bit of a maze. Like most shopping centres, come to that. Architects are very clever at exploiting our generally poor sense of direction to walk visitors past as many shops as possible. I’m glad to count myself among the minority who usually get their bearings in places like this very quickly – I can even get round IKEA in 15–20 minutes on average.

Yesterday I went to pick up a parcel. Car park – lift – shop – lift – car park.... Under normal circumstances, another 10-minute job. While I was waiting for the lift back down, a little old man of about 85 or 90 literally shuffled up to it. We both got in on the first floor and I asked him which button I should press for him.... “Zero... I’m looking for the post office.”

“But sir, the post office is on the first floor... That’s where you got in. It’s just on the opposite side.”

You could see millions of feelings churning inside him. From despair, through disappointment, all the way to anger. I got out with him on the ground floor and tried to explain that the shopping centre goes round in a circle. It didn’t help. I think it only deepened his sense of futility. So I said... “Come on, I’ll take you there.”

We got back into the lift together, got out on the first floor and slowly, ever so slowly, I walked him through the middle until the post office was in sight. That was all it took for the anger in his eyes to turn into emotion and joy. I checked several times that he remembered the way back to the lift. Once he had described the whole route loud and clear, I went on my way. I can only trust that he really did find his way... And if not, that he once again found someone to help him out.

But why am I actually telling you this... For me, the whole thing meant a delay of about 5 minutes. For him, it meant an enormous amount. Not just that, in a building he found utterly bewildering, he finally reached the post office he had been looking for so desperately. Not just that he could probably collect his pension or pay the electricity bill. But above all that, for a brief moment, he felt he wasn’t alone and that human solidarity, even in today’s world, isn’t just the stuff of novels.

So I can only repeat – Let’s be kinder to each other... Little things make the world better. Not just great deeds. And what is a trifle to you may mean tremendous help and hope to someone else.