The Kindness of Strangers

I’d gone to the reading of The Same Life Over at Centre Stage Greenville, SC. The actors read the lines, with one person describing each scene change so the audience could picture it in their minds. Because  there was no scenery on stage, I could visualize how it looked and enjoy the scenes and acts I imagined them.

Centre Stage has stadium seating and the stairs are steep. Since I sat one row from the back, I waited for most people to go ahead of me before stepping into the aisle.

Holding onto the handrail, I carefully stepped down the first stair. I did same with the second but my foot slipped. The next thing I knew I was tumbling into people ahead of me. “Aaaah” I cried. When I landed at the bottom, my first words were “Did I hurt anybody?”

“No, everyone’s ok. Are you ok?”

“No, I hurt.”

“Can you move your ankle?” someone asked. I nodded, and I did so, despite the pain.  

I looked around to see that five or six people had stayed with me to see whether I would be ok. I started to get up, but couldn’t yet.

“Stay there. There’s no hurry. Wait till you’re ready.”

“We’ll drive you home,” one man said.

“No, I’m ok” I answered.

“Are you sure?” he asked, unconvinced.

“Yeah, I think so”, I said, hesitatingly. About ten minutes later I got up and realized how dizzy I was. And weak.

“I think we should drive you home,” he said again, recognizing that I wasn’t truly ok.

“Yes, I think so” I said, realizing I was in no shape to drive.  

 After walking through the lobby at a snail’s pace, I walked out with them to their car. Hugh drove my car and Kathy took me in hers as I told her where to go.

They lived in the opposite direction, but volunteered to take me anyway and I was so glad. God used them to meet my need, even though I didn’t like needing anyone. It gave them the opportunity to bless me and taught me that sometimes we need to trust others to help us out.

Thank you, Hugh and Kathy, for driving me home that night. You’re a real blessing.