Monday 16 December 2013

To Lighten Up A Rainy Day

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The photo is not from today. Today has been too wet to even think of getting a camera out. And very windy too!

I have a little “sunshine story”, though. Does one use that expression in English?? We do in Swedish; for a story with (an unexpected) happy ending.

On Monday mornings, I go to the rehab pool at the hospital. At that time of day, I am able to travel by a small bus that goes into my street and stops closer to my home than the regular buses, and then goes all the way across town to the hospital (and beyond). It takes its time, as it goes into some back streets where the big buses don’t go. But I don’t have to change buses in town, which is an advantage in wet or cold weather.

Like the other buses, it stops near the main entrance at the hospital. To get to the rehab unit, which is in a separate building, I have to walk either through or around the hospital complex. Not a big problem for me, even in winter, as I also know my way through the underground culverts and can choose that way if I want.

However: Today when I was getting ready to get off the bus at the usual stop, the driver asked if I “too” was going to the rehab unit? – implying that he already knew that some other passenger on the bus was. When I said yes, he said I could stay on board. “I’ll drive you up there,” he said. What? I had to double-check I’d heard him right, as I know that the bus is not supposed to go that way! “Well,” said the driver with a wink, “it’s raining – and it’s easy enough to make a wrong turn in the roundabout, and then I have to go all the way up there to be able to turn around…”

The result was that I (along with the other fellow passenger) arrived at our destination both drier and quicker than expected. (I can only hope that there was no one else further along the way that had to wait too long for the bus instead…)

9 comments:

  1. What a lovely driver. I think he deserves an appreciation award for caring for his passengers.

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  2. Such little things make life that little bit better, and walks that little bit shorter.

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  3. most definitely a sunshine story and a great one... a sunshine story makes me happy, even whenit happens to someone else

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  4. What a great Christmas gift from the driver!!! It shows that you do not have to have any money to give people a gift. A story like this, we call it a "feel good story".

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  5. P.S. LOVE the puddle tree!!! Your great story made me forget!

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  6. What a kind person!
    Last night, I was doing my once-a-year shift at the Christmas market, doing voluntary work at the stall of an organization that supports women in Bangladesh. When I do this, I always go in early enough to get myself something to eat at another stall before I start my shift. This time, I still had time after that, so I went to buy a little something for a friend at another stall. When I paid, I mentioned to the stallholder that I was going to start my shift at a nearby stall now. She wanted to know which one, so I told her about our work for the Bangladeshi women. She instantly gave me some money to put into our donations box. I found that very kind!

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  7. There is great kindness around amongst all the angst and unpleasantness with which the news is filled. It's lovely to hear about it. I'd not heard the term 'sunshine story' before. There are very few buses in Napier and Hastings and I've never asked how people without transport get to things like hospital re-hab. I must find out. I suspect that much of it relies on friends with cars.

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  8. How nice, an unexpected act of kindness.

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  9. What a nice thoughtful driver. I love how he had already thought out the "reason" for his being off-route .....very touching.
    Beautiful sunshine story.....thanks for sharing.

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