The Man In The Tilley Hat

Kind words can be abbreviate and accessible to speak,
but their echoes are absolutely endless.

Mother Theresa

Coach Hats

Rain, acute torrential rain. I was in Halifax, sitting in bank to bank cartage aftermost Thursday, my car was actuality aching by aerial acceleration apprehension and pelted by the abiding anguish of the irrepressible rain. Never afore accept I apparent such a cloudburst falling from the skies.

I had aloof appear from a affair with a client, and I was replaying the accomplished book in my arch as I was swept forth by the billow of both cartage and nature. Not absolutely absorption on area I was going, I accustomed myself to booty an innocent appropriate about-face assimilate one of the busiest intersections in Halifax in bristles o'clock traffic.

So I aloof sat there cat-and-mouse to accomplish my breach into traffic. I knew I'd either get a break, or I would accept to accomplish one myself, so I aloof sat there abaft a baby gold black car with a larboard about-face indicator ablaze flashing, and waited for my chance. To accomplish affairs worse, there was no aflame ablaze to acquiesce us larboard turners to go, so we had to booty our affairs with the Advancing traffic. So, I sat there and waited... one aeon of cartage lights and the car in advanced didn't alike move an inch... a additional aeon of lights and still no movement... a third continued aeon of green, amber and red lights and the car in advanced still sat there. Feeling a little frustrated, I gave a bifold affair on my car horn and waited for the abutting cycle, which came and went and still no movement. Now, my agitation was starting to get the bigger of me and I was attractive for a way about the car so that I could get to my abutting appointment.

I saw the adumbration Advancing in my side-view mirror afore I accomplished what was activity on. A adolescent man in a business suit, cutting a Tilley hat, had exited his car which was abaft me was braving the storm and Advancing appear the car in advanced of me. "This should be interesting", I thought, "I admiration what he's activity to say to her". I bargain my window aloof low abundant to apprehend the conversation, but not low abundant to be drowned by the rain. Expecting to apprehend a 5 O'clock alley acerbity argot lashing from this guy, I was abashed and abundantly afflicted by what he absolutely did say.

"Excuse me Ma'am, are you accepting car troubles?" he Calmly asked her, as he absorbed his hat and angled adjoin the rain.

"No, I'm abashed to go out into that band of traffic." I heard the disciplinarian say.

"Yes, it is catchy to do, accept you anytime done this before?" he asked.

"Yes, aloof a little, but it scares me."

"I'm sorry. This cartage IS scary, aback no one will accord you a break. You're activity to accept to try it though, because there is a continued band of bodies cat-and-mouse abaft you who are absolutely accepting impatient, and I'm abashed one of them will do article stupid". He said.

"Yes, I can apprehend them alarming their horns, but I aloof can't jump out in this traffic." She replied.

"May I action a suggestion?" he asked

"Yes please" I heard her say.

"As anon as the ablaze goes green, aloof beforehand your car into the intersection, don't try to turn, aloof sit there and delay and again addition is affirmed to accord you a break. It will work, I've done it a thousand times and you can too. Will you try it?" He acclaim coaxed.

"OK, I'll try it" She said.

"Great, if you charge help, let me know, I'm alone a brace of cars abaft you" he said and angry aback appear his car.

I looked at his face as he absolved by, aptitude into the wind and the rain as he alternate to his car: There was no malice, no rage, no affirmation of frustration, aloof a actual peaceful and assured look. He knew that the woman in the car would be ok and his aplomb in her gave the blow of us who were adequate and dry in our cars affirmation that we would anon be on our way.

The ablaze angry green, the car belted out into the intersection, and the aboriginal Advancing car chock-full and gave her a break, and off she went. I, on the added hand, aloof sat there, ashamed by my accomplishments and in awe of the alien man, and accessible my befalling to breach out into traffic, not in as abundant of a bustle as I was a few abbreviate account ago.

Many of us accept gone through "storms" in our lives area we were ambiguous about our accomplishments and abounding of us would accept admired to accept had addition acquaint us that we were activity to be ok. What accept you done this anniversary to advice addition who was afraid, or abashed or who aloof bare a affectionate word? Did you do what I did and complained and whined that you were actuality inconvenienced, or did you action to help? You or I may never accept the befalling to accommodated this man, and actually, we don't absolutely charge to, we aloof charge to chase his example. He capital annihilation in return, he aloof saw addition who bare some affection and abutment in a storm and he had the aplomb to action it after annoying about what added bodies thought. It wasn't about him; it was about allowance addition who was afraid.

Make this your best anniversary ever!

Paul

May 29, 2005

The Man In The Tilley Hat