August 11: Memorable Moments: Unexpected Kindness
I’ll be spending the next few days with my grandmother in Switzerland, hiking in the mountains nearby, and eating some of my favorite foods before heading north to Germany. With much of this summer behind me, it seems appropriate to spend the next few blogs reflecting on some of the more memorable moments of this year’s adventure. Today’s topic: unexpected kindness.
One of the side benefits of riding in such searing heat for most of the last eight weeks has been the extent to which I’ve learned to make the time off my bike as restorative as possible. I’ve covered fewer miles each day, allowing me plenty of time to hydrate, stop when I need to rest, and take time to engage with the people I meet along the way.
Each day on the road, I’ve been blessed by small and large deeds of kindness from people I’ve never met before and most likely will never see again. Perhaps the most impactful acts of all were the unexpected gestures made by those who seemed to have the least yet gave cheerfully, asking nothing in return.
Towards the end of my trip in Morrocco, I found myself walking farther in soaring temperatures than I expected to find a novel written in English to read on my ferry to France. With the book finally in my hand, I made my way back towards my motorcycle, stopping at a food cart to get a snack for energy.
Unfortunately, the first treat I picked was too difficult for me to chew. Because my jaw post chemo is rather brittle and harder food items are unsafe for me to eat, I offered to pay the young boy manning the cart additional money for a softer item.
Although his prices were already very low and he couldn’t have been making much profit on his business, the kind youth demonstrated a maturity far beyond his years by eagerly bagging up a new option, handing it to me with a smile, and refusing to accept any more funds.
I’m also moved thinking of the care shown to me by the staff at my hotel in Albania, a country that is considered by many to be one of the poorest in Europe.
Although the receptionist and I could not communicate much even with my translator app, she repeatedly pulled out a placemat and silverware and offered to feed me. When I left in the morning, the maid insisted on helping to carry out my bags and tie them down on the bike. Neither of these kind women were willing to take the tips I repeatedly offered them.
In Turkey, a farmer on the side of the road was adamant that I try a slice of his white melon. Although I don’t normally buy such bulky items while on the bike, I offered to purchase one of the luscious fruits because they were so moist and flavorful. He surprised me by bagging up one and not allowing me to pay him anything in return.
While on my way to MotoCamp Bulgaria, I stopped at a roadside stand grilling sausages and offering homemade salads for sides. I explained that I had Euros and the woman cooking the meat piled up a huge plate for me. But when I handed her the Euros, she said she needed change.
With the tantalizing smell of the slightly charred meat wafting through the air, but no smaller bills in sight, I wasn’t sure what to do. A young Bulgarian offered to trade me 100 Levs for my 50 Euros, even though the exact value was a tad less than 98 and he lost a little in the exchange. With prices in that area so low to begin with, his act of generosity was that much more remarkable.
These are just a few of the many examples of unexpected kindness that have been so inspiring to me the last several weeks. They’ve prompted me to question how I can do better myself. I’ve been reflecting on how I can stretch as a person to go above and beyond what is required or expected in my interactions with others. I hope sharing this has been encouraging to you as well.
