TTwelve years ago I was in Queanbeyan to see a specialist about my chronic illness. I was heading home to Queensland early the next morning and set the alarm to wake me up for the taxi I had booked to the airport. But when I woke up, I realized that I forgot to take into account daylight saving time. Now I was an hour late getting to the airport, and there was no taxi to take me there.
I ordered another taxi and went out to wait in front of the motel, desperate that I might miss the plane. I was standing on a dark path talking on the phone to my sister in Queensland about how I had missed my taxi and how unwell I was feeling. My health can affect my ability to think clearly, and I was telling her that my brain just wasn't working that day. Then the taxi arrived – ugh. But as the driver told me when I opened the door to get in, it wasn't for me.
A well-dressed, professional-looking man emerged from the shadows and stood next to me. He must have overheard my conversation. The taxi was behind him, but he asked the driver to take me too.
I sat down gratefully and explained my situation in conversation to the man and driver, who were very kind. At some point, the man said something to the driver, but I didn’t hear what. Later, I noticed that we were going to the airport and realized that the gentleman asked the driver not to drop him off at his destination, but to take me to the airport first. I tried to object, but the man didn’t want to hear about it.
When we arrived, the gentleman wouldn't let me pay the fare and even jumped out to show me to the terminal and make sure I knew where to go and what to do. I was filled with gratitude.
If you have a chronic illness like I do, it can be an invisible illness. People tell me that they wouldn't know something was wrong just by looking at me. This means that you can't always get sympathy from people when you're not feeling well, but this person was completely sympathetic.
I was about to write to the local newspaper to thank him, but I felt worse again and the thought faded to the back of my mind. I hope he sees it now, after all these years. So, to this well-dressed gentleman: thank you for being kind when so many others are not. Words cannot express how much you changed my day.
