Video - Compassion on the Commute: One Man's Stand for Decency on a Crowded Bus
A pregnant lady struggled to find a seat on the crowded bus. Her swollen belly made standing difficult, but the bus seemed full of oblivious passengers burying their heads in phones and newspapers. As she swayed back and forth with each jerky stop, an elderly man caught her discomfort from the corner of his eye. He instantly stood up and offered his seat. "Please, take this seat, dear lady." The pregnant woman gratefully accepted, offering a weary smile. But the elderly man's kindness didn't stop there. When a transgender person boarded to sneers and cruel laughter from some riders, the elderly man spoke up firmly. "We will have no such disrespect on this bus. Treat all people with kindness." The jeers quieted, and the transgender person nodded gratefully. At the next stop, a blind person with a service dog attempted to board, but several riders objected about allowing animals. Once again the elderly man's voice rang out - "This is a service animal, and this person has every right to ride. Make way." By the time the elderly man reached his stop, every person on board had been impacted by his humble integrity and unwavering kindness to strangers. As he disembarked, the pregnant lady stopped him with a hand on his sleeve. "Sir, you've taught us all a lesson in basic human decency today. The world could use more compassionate souls like yours." He smiled warmly. "I'm just an old man who remembers what's most important - lifting up our fellow human beings, whoever and wherever they are." The moral is that small acts of compassion, even towards strangers, can make an incredible impact on those around us. An outstretched hand and open heart can change lives in ripples we may never know.