Let Him!

I was delivering pizzas again tonight, not a huge surprise. But I was surprised by something that happened at the corner of Ash and Valley Pkwy. I generally scan the road at all times when I delivery drive. I especially look several hundred yards ahead at the lights and when they change and what potential time savers I can come up with, changing lanes, whether to turn or not to turn, whether to speed up, etc. As I was looking ahead at this particular light I saw a man with a cane who was probably 90 years old. I immediately understood that I might not even make this light, then something unexpected happened, as I pulled up to the light and stopped, so that the man could cross the rest of the way (he was halfway across), he looked up at me, smiled, and them waived me through. I've seen this happen a time or two in my day, and I've seen some people waive the person who was trying to help to continue the rest of the way. Not me! I smiled waived and made my turn.

We, for the most part, serve the elderly and handicap in our society regularly. We make sure the doors are open for them, parking spaces are available for them, we wait patiently behind them while they drive at their own pace, etc. I want you to hear me say that I believe this is what we should do, but I also want you to hear me say something else, when they want to help or serve us occasionally I think we should let them.

I believe the elderly and handicap in our society today get so used to not helping because no one really allows them to help them from time to time. I'm not talking about making them our slaves, I'm talking about allowing them to lend you a hand when they try to. If they open the door for you, don't run around and grab the door away from them so that you can help THEM out, just go through the open door. I've even seen someone in a wheel chair try to open a door for a group of people and the first person in the group took the door from him and made him wheel in before everyone else. I'm guessing the man who took the door from the man in the wheel chair thought he was doing a good thing, but I would argue that it was not the right thing. Saying thank you and walking through would have been the right thing.

So next time a 90 year old man stops and smiles, take him up on his act of kindness. It will make your day!