Last week I traveled on business to California. I go a couple of times a month. These trips are usually fast and furious with me always racing to make a meeting. I typically schedule myself pretty tight as to not be away from home for any longer than I have to. This trip was no exception.
After my morning meeting, I was pleased to get on the freeway with plenty of time to return my rental car and catch the shuttle to Oakland airport. Suddenly, the traffic on I680 came to a halt. For the next hour, I slowly crawled along. It was now 12:00 and my plane was at 1:00. I called my husband and told him that I probably was not going to make my flight. Then, the traffic broke and I zoomed to the rental car drop off.
As I got out of the car, I told Dan, from Enterprise rental car, that I was going to miss my plane. He offered to drive me directly to the terminal eliminating the wait for the shuttle bus.
“Leave your stuff in the car and let’s go,” he said.
It was a wild toad ride to the terminal. Dan found a couple of back roads that paralleled the runway. Sometimes I thought we were going faster than the planes. At the terminal, I got out of the car and quickly said thank you. I whizzed through security and arrived at the gate just as the last people were boarding the plane. I was extremely glad to get up in the air knowing I was going home.
Once I had a few minutes to relax, I wondered if Dan knew how much of an impact his actions had on me. I made my plane. I didn’t have to spend hours in the airport waiting for the next flight. This small random act of kindness made me feel special, important and valued.
Never overlook an opportunity to give something of your self to another human being. The smallest gesture of kindness and compassion does make a difference!
Thank you, Dan, where ever you are!