It was a bad time for me . I was low emotionally and tired physically. Probably because of this I hadn't shaved for a few days. Also, because I had been doing some repairs at my daughter's house, I was dressed quite scruffily. Boarding the bus to go home I saw it was almost full so I found a rail to lean against. That was when a young woman, sitting with her child, stood up and offered me her seat. "Wow !" I thought. Out loud I said, "Do I look that old and tired?" She replied," You look like you've had a tough day." I thanked her sincerely and stayed standing. A moment later a man rose from his seat at the back of the bus and made his way towards me, squeezing past several people on the way. Then he told me about his addiction problems, asked for my advice, and just chatted about life for a few minutes. Then he went back to his seat. Very random! Watching him go, I also looked at the bus-load of people between me and his seat. He hadn't chosen to talk to those strangers. He chose to talk to _ for whatever it meant to him and whatever comfort it brought him. Why? That's when it occurred to me. I must have looked like I had been where he was. I probably looked like a man who would understand a difficult life. I was humbled and uplifted at the same time by the realization that even when we are at our lowest we can still help others--if we look like we might be able to meet them where they live or walk a while in their world. Why did the young woman offer her seat to the writer?
Because she thought the writer looked very old. Because the writer looked very friendly. Because the writer looked humorous. Because the writer looked exhausted.