A Bit of Kindness

Because it was rush hour, our Lyft arrived over ten minutes late, and then we sat in traffic for another hour. As a result, we didn't arrive at the Seattle airport until five o'clock, with only seventeen minutes left before the plane took off. Seeing the long lines in the security checkpoint, we thought to ourselves: there's no way we're making this flight. A young ground staff member (David) saw how anxious we were and recommended we use the Clear line; he escorted us through the security line, during which our bags were even re-screened. With time being so tight, we eventually split up: he went ahead to the gate to hold the door, while I held onto our re-screened bags. With only two minutes left, I sprinted toward Gate B7 and caught the plane at the very last moment.

Some people's purpose in life is to obstruct others from living better, while for others, the meaning of life lies in helping others live better. He belongs to the latter. He could have completely followed airport regulations and made us wait in line as prescribed, which would have inevitably resulted in us missing our flight, but he chose not to do so. Sometimes I wonder whether the regulations in a civilized society are meant to liberate us or to bind the majority; if it is the latter, then clearly the constraints placed on the majority ensure fairness for the majority, such as everyone being allowed to wait in line. He said that since our situation was genuinely so urgent, even if we told the people in front of us, they would have allowed us to cut in. I dare not speculate on this, but David truly used the convenience of his position to solve our dilemma. We did not exploit his kindness, but his kindness saved our beautiful day. When one deliberates carefully, one wonders just how much the kindness in human hearts is being exploited and abused; such things happen incessantly in today's society every single day.