The Kindness of Strangers

Just a line to say "hey." I was away interviewing last week. Blah. Good to see friends and family, good to eat Ben's Chili Bowl and paella, bad to have to answer SIX times, "So... why Seattle?"

When I was taking the cab home from the airport on Sunday, exhausted in body and spirit, the cab driver asked in an Eastern European accent, "Do you go to the law school?" I said yes, inwardly groaning at the thought of having to converse with a stranger while so tired. "I'm sorry to hear that," he joked. And I agreed, "So am I."

That put a damper on his efforts at conversation (as did my monosyllabic responses), and most of the remainder of the cab ride was in silence. But at the end of the ride, when I was getting ready to hand him the money, he looked at me and asked, "Are you all right, miss? You don't seem so good."

Shocked out of my low energy, but strangely touched, I smiled wearily and said, "No, I'm fine, really. I'm just tired." He took the money I gave him, and said, "It's all going to be all right. You're going to be just fine." I thanked him, and he left. But I did feel pretty warm and fuzzy on the inside.