Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Can You Translate "Post Office" in Russian please?

Occured 4/02/07
Re-Written 10/08/08

Sometimes you think that the world around you kind of sucks a little and that people are mean, self-centered and will do things for others only if it has some sort of personal gain. I still think that a little I suppose about well, a lot of people, some that I actually consider my friends but thats not really the point. The point is that something happened while I was out and about Saturday afternoon that made me think there is still hope for us all.

Saturday afternoon I walked out of my apartment door squinted a little and reached for my sunglasses. As I headed down the side walk to meet my mom for lunch I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was outside which maybe explained my good mood. Anyway, I arrived at my mom's and we continued on to grab lunch. As we were crossing the street this little old man kind of waddled up to us asking a question. In is hand he had a little bag with a manilla envelope in it. He was pointing to the envelope and saying something I could not understand. So my Mom say's, "english?" and he replies "no, no, only Russian." He keeps repeating one thing over and over which I could only imagine to be post office. My mom thought he was just looking for a box so she pointed down the street, but then she gestured to his envelope and said, "you dont have any postage, do you need stamps?" I think he sort of understood because he nodded. She pulled the envelope from his bag and it was addressed to the Ukraine which will set you back a wee bit more than $0.39. Meanwhile this other woman walked by and he asks,"Russian?" The woman looked at us curiously and we explained and she goes, "parlez-vous francais," which made me kinda chuckle. This woman says she might know someone who speaks the language and immediately reaches for her cell phone. All this time this old shakey man with a cane is just looking at us a little hopelesly. Here you have this woman on her phone trying to get a hold of someome who speaks Russian, my Mom (bless her heart) is talking to him as though he were deaf not Russian, and then there's me just sort of dumbfounded standing on the street corner with a Russian man. So I shrug my shoulders and smile sheepishly and try to think of a solution.

The woman was unlucky with her phone, and she bid us good luck and farewell. My mom being the kind soul that she is says, "Kaylie we are jsut going to have to walk him there, you dont mind do you?" Of course not> So we walked (very very slowly) for about 8 blocks or so until he saw the American flag in front of the post office, pointed and said that something again that was likely "post office" in Russian. He then turned to my Mother,said thank you several times, kissed her hand and then turned and did the same to me. My mom tried to ask him if he knew how to get home, and I hope the words that came out of his mouth meant yes. Then we watched as slowly waddled across the street my Mom waiting to see if the people turning left would run him over. She has this thing about cars charging the intersection when you are trying to cross the street. I insist that they will not run her over but she swears its almost happened before. Oh Mom.

Not that this was such an amazing profound story but it made me think about what it means to be a good person. If that had been me walking alone on the sidewalk when I encountered the man I may have given my apologies, smiled and continued to walk on down. Not my Mom, if she sees that there is someone who needs help and she can do something to help then she does. In fact I think perhaps she spends more time worrying about and helping others than she does for herself. Which frustrates me when I see how much she has had to struggle in her life and all the bad things that have happened to her. No one was there to help her out when she needed it most yet she would give those same people the shirt off her back if they asked for it. It inspires me to be a better person and not worry about the petty things in life. In some ways I wish could be more like her. Which is why I think on my profile when asked who my hero was - I said it was my Mom.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think we share mothers.

Examples like this used to annoy me, but as I get older I become more patient and I've realized that everyone on this earth is in it together. I've also found a growing appreciation for the elderly. I admire the fact that you consider your mother your hero in life. I'm not there yet because I see my mother giving more to others and nothing to herself as a destructive thing. I guess I'll appreciate her more in a few years.

This post is turning some cranks in my brain and for that, I thank you.