Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Looking Like This


--by wayfarer, posted May 2, 2008

I was travelling by bus to the next town. At one stop stood four elderly ladies and one biiiig scary guy. He was dressed in leather and denim, had several piercings, a red bandana over his head and tattoos all over his face.

The ladies seemed to be keeping their distance but as the bus came to a halt in front of him the big man stepped back and indicated the ladies should go first. I think they were a little surprised!

Then the big man came on board. I noticed he winced painfully as he walked. Then - oh joy - he came and sat next to me! Well, I'm not small and together we filled up that seat.  I noticed him rubbing his leg and I tapped him on the shoulder. "Would it help," I asked, "if I moved to another seat then you could have more room to stretch your leg?"

"Naw," he said gruffly.

When it came his turn to get off he turned and said, "Thanks for that." He waved a hand at his face. "Looking like this, not many people think to offer help." And off he went.  I got to offer help AND I learned a lesson. It was my lucky day.

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Readers Comments

jaydeebug wrote: Wayfarer....your stories are always keepers. Cut and paste, I have a special folder so I can go back and read them!
Did I miss the one that you followed up with how the radio show went?
Ellen-X wrote: There goes the old cliche "never judge a book by it's cover"...but my gosh, it is so true! I feel the most sad thing about our race is our habit of judging too quickly and too FREELY... God loves us all!
jules wrote: Funny, I hadn't thought about it until now, but I always take the covers off my hardback books... obviously those with removable covers, that is. And when items are maybe overlooked by others because they appear flawed, I buy them because I feel that they have 'character' and this adds to their charm!

bibirose wrote: Tis true we & I do include myself are so quick to judge others & yet we want people to accept us as we are; we live on a two-way street, so we should accept others as we want to be...You would have made that guy's day, possibly even his year, bless you for your sensitivity. Have a beaut day!
megumi wrote: WOW! I love this story. You never know what you will uncover when you look beyond what people appear to be. God bless you.
lmil1954 wrote: That's a great story Wayfarer, thanks for sharing it and your kind attitude. Cant judge a book by it's cover-huh?
MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: Thanks for the story wayfarer. A good reminder for us all not to make assumptions based only on what we see!
JuneBug wrote: Like the ol' saying...You can't judge a book by it's cover! He evidently had a heart as big as himself....
merv wrote: My covering is a bit like that too. Thanks for helping that one, it might have been me.
brighteyes wrote: We're all the SAME ON THE INSIDE... your story reflects this....and its important to accept others and ourselves just as we are...we're perfect...we're we all creating from a spark of God?

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