Kindness of Strangers

After leaving the site of a job MDCOM is installing in one of the most beautiful places we've ever installed an NEC phone system, I decided to take advantage of the last visetiges of a sunny winter Sunday.  The Chanler is located at the start of the Cliff Walk in Newport and is worth the drive from an hour or two away just about any time. The fact that I just had to walk down the sloping lawn and hop the chained off steps to take in the vistas and palatial 'cottages' which line the coastline.

I quietly stepped past a woman who was tightly engaged with her smartphone; I was looking to disengage from mine as I walked a half mile or so, soaking in the setting winter sun.  The cold steady breeze in my face coupled with the sounds of the subtle surf was soothing, yet in the immortal words of Robert Frost, I had "miles to go before I sleep".  

Returning to the Chanler for my car, I noticed the car keys of the woman who had walker been sitting on the steps with her phone.  I looked around, picked up the keys and walked towards the Walk entrance and asked if anyone had seen a woman in a black coat looking for her keys.  Nothing.

All the cars for the next mile are parked in a single line along Easton beach, where only a few dog walkers and paddle boarders enjoyed the waning afternoon.  The Homda logo and remote starter would help me narrow down the possible suspects, so I began to walk along the sidewalk to find the keyless Honda.  

The third hit opened the doors of a small Civic with a Danvers MA plate frame that confirmed the Danvers tag on the keys. I got a piece of paper from someone parking their car, and wrote "you left these on the steps - Kind Stranger :)"

As I walked back up the hill towards The Chanler and my car, I saw the woman.  She was with 2 other people, and looked slightly flustered.  I asked her if she was looking for her keys and she was.  "I left them in your door handle with a note".  

"Oh.. You what?  Oh my god...OK..."

And she hurredly passed me towards her car as I started up the path to mine.

And that's when it hit me:  you can help people or not.  You SHOULD help people because that should make our world a nicer place to live.  I was taking a walk, enjoying the sunset, and decided it would be nice to help my fellow human.  But how much?  Should I have just left the keys? Mentioned to a couple people where to find keys if they saw the woman?  

As she walked away I yelled "You're welcome!" from the path to my car.  "YOU'RE WELCOME!!" prompted a turn and a stuttered "oh yeah thanks", but I'm not sure she meant it.