Be nice to foreigners

The other night Max and I were walking home from Cafe Royale. We passed a young woman (probably early 20's) who was standing on the sidewalk with what looked like all her belongings in bags and suitcases. She asked us (in a broken english) if we had a cell phone to call a cab and proceeded to burst into tears. Max immediately hugged her and told her everything was going to be alright. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed for a Yellow Cab. I never got through because they NEVER pick up, but Max just stood in the street and hailed one down. We then had to call the Hostel she was looking for to find out the address and then gave that to the cabbie. We helped her put all her bags in the trunk, and then Max gave her a business card with our number. I explained we lived close by, and she should call if she needed help.

I think about Max's story of his 'landing' at college when he started at UMass. He talks about arriving at the airport in Boston and then taking a bus for 3+ hours to Amherst. He then got off the bus in the late evening and stood there with his bags not knowing anyone, or where to go.

Even though I came to the States from another country, I spoke English as a first language and we had some family in the town we moved to. I was very lucky for all this, but still felt so alone and like such an outsider.

I am really glad Max is such a nice and helpful person. Watching the way he handled the situation with this woman just reminded that we should all remember what it feels like when it seems like we're all alone, and to stop and help someone when they're crying in the street rather than looking the other way.