Be Nice
By
It seems to me that if there is one thing that is certain in this life it is the uncertainty of events around us. More and more it is evident we are not in control and no amount of technology is really going to help us survive; it takes a good deal more.
Some months ago our chocolate Labrador retriever and I were out for our early morning walk. In this part of the country early morning is extremely significant as the temperature has been known to reach triple digits before nine in the morning and baked concrete sidewalks can do serious damage to a dog’s paws. Everything that looks like a mammal around here is nocturnal, with good reason. Walking is best done at or before dawn
On this morning the sun had just climbed above the mountains in the east and we were making our way along the sidewalk just in front of the recently constructed Town Hall. It was already getting warm and the humidity was in its usual single digits. About half way to the intersection I spotted a woman coming toward us. She was about five feet four, black, somewhere in her mid thirty’s and dressed for work, probably heading for Town Hall, as that was the only office complex in this direction. Meeting someone on our daily walk was an unusual event for a number of reasons: it’s too early, nobody walks here and the parking lot was off in the other direction.
Following our usual procedure, we stepped off the sidewalk onto the gravel and waited for the woman to pass. Sidewalks are for people; everything else yields. As she walked by, I greeted her with my usual “Good Morning” and my companion sat by my side with tail wagging. She nodded but seemed distracted as she went by. Unexpectedly, she stopped, turned and took a few steps toward us.
“Excuse me,” she said. “Could I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Are you a Christian?”
Expecting a request for the time of day, directions or any one of a number of questions one would normally expect from a stranger on the street, I hesitated just a moment and then replied: “Yes.”
“Could you tell me how I can be saved?”
I paused again and looked carefully at her. She was serious. There was true concern on her face. She continued: “I’ve asked a number of people that question and no one seems to be able to give me an answer”
Looking at her carefully I began to speak: “Be nice.” I said. “Be nice to the people around you; be nice to the world around you and everything else will fall into place.” I said no more.
I looked at her and she at me and then tears welled up in her eyes and she silently mouthed the words Thank you and then turned and quietly walked away. I watched her for a moment and then my companion and I continued on our way.
I’ve never run into her again no matter how many times I’ve walked the same route; I’ve never seen her at Town Hall. Why I said the things I did that day I have no idea. As I’m never without writing material of some sort no matter where I am, I copied down our little conversation and read it over a number of times to make sure I had it right.
She has often been in my thoughts and I’ve wondered how she was handling the world around her. However, as with most things, every action or inaction one takes or is exposed to is a learning experience. That is not to say that one actually learns from it but the opportunity is there. On my part, whenever I find myself becoming angered or irritated by someone or something, the words “be nice” come into my head and I slow down. While the woman on the way to work may have been seeking something – I found it – I hope she did too.
Be nice.
© 2007
Timothy Holland Published:
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