Pass the humanity, please

Would you like to know what makes me mad?  I'll admit it:  pretty much everything.  I have what some refer to as "a short fuse."  Inside my own mind, I don't really get too worked up about stuff; I'm kind of an easy going person.  But on the outside, sometimes I project a person who becomes indignant about every little perceived injustice.  I think the outward display of temper helps me maintain a general mood of happiness on the inside.  But every once in a while, my inside gets worn down, and there I am, just mad.  Today was one of those days. 

It was raining and windy and cold.  A few separate coworkers referred to it as "a hurricane!" outside.  Actually, it was a little less windy and a little warmer than a rainy fall day in Omaha.  It sure was dark, though.  Maybe the surrounding hills and valleys make it seem darker than it really is outside.  Or maybe the tree cover makes it darker.  Either way, when I left work shortly after 4pm, it was dark outside.  Dark and rainy.  Dark and rainy and windy and cold. 

Although I have honed my skills in avoiding puddles, by the time I had walked my mile back to the train stop, my pants were soaked up to my knees.  It was on that walk that I got mad.  I have a problem with drivers.  When I first moved here, I was pleasantly surprised at just how courteous drivers were toward pedestrians and bikers.  They would come to a stop in the street, even at intersections without cross walks, so pedestrians could cross.  They would start slowing down a block away, so the walker would know that they had been spotted and it was safe to start crossing.  Today, however, in the cold and the wind and the rain, car after car after car rushed by, even on streets WITH cross walks, as other walkers and myself stood silently near the curb. 

I mostly get annoyed at this behavior in parking lots, as where I come from (or at least where I lived for the past 7 years), there is no expectation for cars to stop or even slow down for a pedestrian in the street.  But I've become spoiled in my short time out here.  As a pedestrian, I suddenly feel entitled to cross the street when ever and where ever I want.  Today, at street after street (I have to cross 12 streets on my way to and from the train and work), I was stopped and forced to wait as cars or trucks rushed by and threatened to spray me with gutter water.  Each time, I got a little more angry.  I think it was just the fact that each time eroded a little of my faith in humanity.  Already, my faith in humanity is on shakey ground, lately.  It seems as if nobody is willing to help me or my family unless I pay them, and even then, I have questions as to whether or not they really want to help.  So the little jabs by the 40 or so cars that passed me by today kind of cut.

By the time I made it to the train, I pretty much hated the world.  When I got on the train, I scanned for a seat, found none, and leaned against a prime standing location near the door.  I don't know what my expression was:  probably a frown.  And that's when an older gentleman stood up, turned to me and offered his seat.  I felt honored by him.  I said "No thank you.  Please, go ahead."  After all, at every stop, they announce that we should give up our seats to the elderly and those with physical difficulties.  I am morally opposed to taking a seat from someone who is older than me. 

That small gesture made my day. Sometimes, one small thing can make a huge difference in someone's life.