"Human Beings Are Not Islands"

--by hasifa, posted Aug 16, 2011

In my country we have a form of transportation called “border border” where you ride on the back of a bicycle. It was one of the most common forms of transportation when I was a kid.

One afternoon I was ill and had to leave school early. As I was walking home I saw a man on a bicycle with a baby as the passenger. He had been asked to take her to a specific destination but was having trouble because the baby could not hold on for itself. He was pushing the bike and walking besides it with one hand holding onto the baby.

Then he saw me and asked me where I was going. I told him and it turned out we were going in the same direction. He asked if I would ride on the back of the bike and hold the baby for him. I gladly obliged and what would have been an hour-long walk turned into a quick ride home.

Today I thought about that gentleman, how he was so careful to make sure that that baby was safe and how he had no idea how sick I was and really needed that ride home. He saved me in a way because when I got home I had a seizure. I can only wonder how worse the situation could have been had the seizure occurred while I was still out on the road.

I sometimes look back at my life and wonder, why did I experience so much pain as a child? But then I look at my adult life and the answer is clear. Because I have been in need before I now understand what it is like to need.

I’m only alive today because of the kindness of so many people; many of whom have been strangers. This is the reason I can pull my car over and have a picnic with a homeless person or spend my last penny to give to whoever needs it.

My step-mom tells me all the time that human beings are not islands, we do not function alone, and we need other people in our lives. Today I see her truth more and more with each passing minute.

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Posted by hasifa
Aug 16, 2011
Comments (4)

Readers Comments

annjav wrote: You are right, for the more experiences we have, the more compassion we can share with others going through hard times. If we're lucky we can learn from the experiences of others, too. Good lesson!

moral12 wrote: Because of the experiences you have had in your life, positive and negative, you have empathy for others. All life experiences are "lessons" for us, i believe. Thanks for sharing your story!

bluxess wrote: All we accumulate over the years makes sense with time ... incl. kindness ... I feel you are a blessed soul in that you got to see these quite early to be sensitive to such unfortunate souls around you ... We need such experiences not to feel shunned but to offer our hands together to the needed one ... Thanks for sharing.

MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: I believe everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the challenges we face are excellent lessons for us to use the rest of our life! :)

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