By Jean A.
Despite achy knees I walked to the local post office on Damen and Montrose, intending to send off a piece I had written for the Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Foundations. Few people were in the station, and I gave my envelope to the postal carrier. “A dollar fifteen,” he said.
As I swirled my hand around in the dregs of my purse, I realized I had left my wallet at home. A woman standing directly behind me said, “I’ll pick it up.” I was totally taken aback, embarrassed at such an oversight. “Oh, ” she said, “I’ve done the very same thing.” Well, with much gratitude, I accepted her generosity and said I’d put the $1.15 in the collection plate.
I walked out of the post office, struck by the random goodness of people in this big city. I was due for a meeting in the 47th Ward office to plan for the up-coming Ward Health Fair on September 24th. I walked into the office and, sitting at the welcome desk was the very person, Mary, who had so generously paid my postal costs. I recognized her immediately, but she didn’t recognize me. “This is amazing! I can now pay you back,” (since I had returned home to get my wallet). “Oh, no. How can you have such a good feeling for $1.15,” she replied. I said, “You can’t even get a cup of coffee for that price.”
And that is one more of the heart-warming stories to share about this city, filled with so many other kinds of stories. Keep these in your mind.
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