Random Acts of Kindness?

I am very lucky to have lived in Denmark, Spain, Norway, Japan, Australia, and Greece, and have visited more than thirty other counties. For me international travel has been a great education.

It started in my sophomore year in college. While playing goalie for the Oneonta State Red Dragons soccer team I sustained a compound fracture in my right hand. After surgery I was informed that I had to skip the next season. I was one of only two Americans on the close-knit team. There were players from England, France, Poland, Cameroon, Haiti, Israel, Portugal and other countries. They encouraged me to attend the next semester at a university overseas. After all they came to the United States more for the experience than to play soccer. Known as football throughout the rest of the world, the sport of soccer is much bigger abroad than here in the USA. Football is the national sport of many countries.

My teammates were very supportive and marched me down to the International Affairs office. Leafing through a large book of affiliate schools I was immediately interested in the University of Copenhagen. My application was accepted and I departed just before the start of the next semester. There was a two day layover in Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik. Being January, the day was less than four hours long and it was cold.

Thankfully, Copenhagen’s days were longer and warmer. The first day on my way to class, passing a bakery, I saw a woman struggling with a garbage bag. I relieved her of the load and deposited it in a dumpster. She didn’t speak English but said, “Tusen takk” (it means, a thousand thanks) and rewarded me with a piece of fresh warm Danish. Everyday thereafter we exchanged greetings and I made it a ritual to take out the trash for her. In return I received a delicious delicacy!

I have countless other experiences where I helped people without being asked. Sometimes I received nothing more than a smile and kind sounding words that I didn’t understand but it made my day! It taught me that while there are many cultural differences around the world, most everyone appreciates a helping hand. Do you have any stories to share where you helped people without being asked and it made your day?

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