ひとりぼっち

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.

After waiting a few minutes I honked again.

Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked..

'Just a minute',

answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened.

A small woman in her 90's stood before me.

She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox婦人用の小さな丸い帽子 hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase.

The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years.

All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks 骨董のものor utensils on the counters.

In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glasswareガラス食器類.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said.

I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness.

'It's nothing', I told her.. '

I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy,’ she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive

through downtown市内?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said.

'I'm in no hurry.

I'm on my way to a hospice.’

I looked in the rear-view mirror.

Her eyes were glisteningうるんでいる.

'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..

‘The doctor says I don't have very long.'

I quietly reached over手を伸ばす and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city.

She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.

She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroomダンスホール where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint 気配of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent療養 home, with a driveway that passed under a portico玄関の車寄せ.

Two orderlies病棟勤務員 came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up車を止める.

They were solicitous心配している and intent, watching her every move.

They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.

The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?'

She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said.

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.

She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.

'Thank you.'

I squeezedぎゅっと握る her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light..

Behind me, a door shut.

It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift.

I drove aimlessly lost in thought.

For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatientせっかち to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honkedクラクションを鳴らした once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned状態にある to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware知らないで-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

At the bottom of this great story was a request to forward this - I deleted that request because if you have read to this point, you won't have to be asked to pass it along you just will...

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance............

Like us Inspirations kindness viral広まる

--------------------

私も70歳になります。

最後の10年は、タクシードライバーしていました。

ある時、駅の前に配車されました。

1人のご婦人が、喪服のご婦人が乗って来られました。

車内で、どちらまでですか？

どの道を行かれますか？

聞いて、発車しました。

途中から、少し会話していくと、

このご婦人は、一人息子の葬儀の帰りだと言われました。

奥さんに、一緒に住みませんかと言うと、その気は無いと言われたそうです。

自分はひとりぼっちになってしまった。

これから、どうしたら良いのか分からない。

目的地に到着しても、これからどうしたら1番良いのか会話は続きました。

ひとりぼっちの状態に置かれた人は、話し相手が、親切を示してくれる人が、訪問してくれる人が必要です。