Finding Kindness Everywhere

One of the many benefits of travel is meeting new people and the wonderful part of that, is finding that in spite of differences in languages, customs and religion, some basic components remain constant across the human experience. Like the good Samaritan, helpful, kind people populate the Earth everywhere you go!

Schoner Naci -The Greeter of Bratislava!

I had just arrived in Bratislava the night before. I found my hostel without any difficulty but finding a parking space for my tiny Fiat Panda in this densely populated downtown area was going to be another problem; add to that my ignorance of Slovakian and the lack of user friendly traffic signs. I parked a kilometer away in a residential neighborhood which seemed safe, appeared to lack any parking restrictions and where many cars lined both sides of the street.  Upon returning in the morning I found I had been mistaken, as my little yellow Panda was now outfitted with a large wheel boot and an official looking document in an undecipherable language was flapping under the windshield wiper!

As I'm wondering what to do, a man comes down the street and in desperation I ask if he speaks English."Sure" he replies. I ask if he can tell me what the ticket says, which is of course in Slovakian, so I can get the boot off the wheel. "No problem", says Boris...He immediately calls the Police Department and arranges for the officers to come over to unlock the wheel. He also offers to stay with me and "mange the discussion" with the police officers. I ask about the fine."It depends", he says."Sometime 30 Euro, sometimes 60 ... it is up to them".

Ten minutes pass and I learn that Boris is a personal trainer, grew up about 80 miles from Bratislava, went to the University here, lives near the airport and has been to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, he speaks English very well and once again I feel totally inadequate for being monolingual...
Finally the police arrive and Boris tells them I am a tourist, I didn't understand the sign, I've only been in the country two days...the policeman wears a, "Yeah, I've heard it all before expression" and asks for my ID. I give him my passport and he says, "You are from New York?"I tell him," I was born there". " I am Polish", he says, "I have family in Brooklyn!" Well, now we are on our way to becoming BFFs!

He says regretfully, "I have to charge you a fine". I tell him I understand and thank him for educating me on what No Parking signs look like in Slovakia. "How about a compromise...30 Euro?" I pay him the money and as luck would have it, the space immediately in front of my vehicle is a legal spot, so I move the car about ten feet and everybody goes away happy.

I firmly believe that humans everywhere  not only have a tremendous capability for kindness but a need to help others. It does not have to be a grand act, just a small gesture, genuinely offered, will make a difference in some one's life and perhaps as Boris provided to me, the inspiration to "Pay it Forward". Commit to making generosity and kindness "go viral". You will make a difference.