The Lady in Red

I’m not sure whether I should feel guilty or ashamed or what? I did something last week that felt bad, or should I say… I didn’t do something last week that felt bad. Please let me explain.

I was at Jerome’s furniture with my wife shopping for a sofa bed. We picked one out and while she continued shopping, I went to the check out area to pay for it. There was a young couple ahead of me, so I waited in line. I stood there patiently for about 10 minutes and as I stood there, I overheard some of the conversation going on. Apparently, the couple was waiting for change on their cash purchase, but the cashier didn’t have anything but a $100 bill. I heard her say she needed to go to her car to get change, but she had to wait until another cashier could relieve her. The couple looked frustrated, so I checked my wallet and saw that I had change for $100 and offered it up to the cashier.  She smiled, the couple smiled, problem solved. It didn’t cost me anything to help out, but it did require me to notice what was going on around me, and to pay attention to other people… instead of having my face in my phone and my head in the clouds.

But that’s not the thing that I didn’t do that is making me feel bad. Please let me explain further.

It’s been raining more this winter than in many, many years. I love that we are getting this much-needed rain but I’m also kind of tired of being cold and wet every day, so I’ve started carrying an umbrella with me everywhere I go. My wife and I went to the grocery store on Wednesday and it was really pouring, so I drove up close to the entrance and dropped her off. After I parked, I grabbed my umbrella and headed over to the store. As I approached the entrance, I noticed an older lady standing near the doorway. She was very noticeable because she was wearing a really funky red hat with a feather in it, tall red boots, and a big heavy red coat. She was carrying a bag of groceries and just standing there staring at the heavy rain. My thought was to offer to walk her to her car with my umbrella, but I was in a hurry to catch up with my wife and help her with her grocery shopping. So I walked right by that cute little old lady and said nothing. As soon as I got inside, I felt like a jerk, but when I turned around to go back, I saw that the lady in red was already slowly shuffling her way across the parking lot, getting totally drenched by the rain. It wouldn’t have cost me anything to help her, except a little time, but I didn’t do it. Problem not solved!

It’s not that I did something wrong, so I guess I don’t need to feel guilty. It’s just that I didn’t do what I know I should have done… something that would have made someone else’s day a little better! I know for a fact there are going to be situations every single day where I could bring a little sunshine into another person’s rainy day. And yet too often I am more focused on my phone than my fellow human beings. Shame on me!

Action is the antidote to despair.

~ Joan Baez