So the other day, I went to my usual bagel breakfast place, and as usual, there was a long line of people, in a rush, looking to grab their breakfasts and get on with their day. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied in their own business, impatiently checking their watches for the time and scrolling through their iPhone apps.
It was almost my turn, and I realized the woman in front of me had some kind of mental impairment. She was trying to order for a big group of people, having been sent as the official "Bagel Emissary" of the day. Her speech was garbled and very difficult to understand. The server behind the counter looked beseechingly at me, as if to say, "Can you understand her? I'm not getting any of this!"
I approached the counter and looked down at the paper from which this customer was reading. I could see the names of people someone had written down. "Vanessa wants a blueberry bagel?" I asked her? She nodded yes. "And Sarah wants whole wheat toasted with butter?" Another nod. The woman behind the counter visibly relaxed. She was hanging on every word from the "over-the-shoulder" Bagel Whisperer. "Charlie wants a plain bagel with cream cheese?" "Yeah," the woman confirmed.
And then the most amazing thing happened. The line of people behind me all stopped what they were doing and listened. They wanted for this woman. They wanted her to succeed on her bagel mission. "It's ok," a man from the back of the line called out, "Take your time. We don't mind waiting. Just make sure everyone on your list gets the bagels they want." Others on line nodded in agreement.
Together, we went through the entire list. The woman gathered her bagels, and left. The server behind the counter thanked me. I was on the verge of tears. Not out of sadness or pity -- but because I saw a room full of impatient strangers, transform into loving, compassionate and patient souls. They became a supportive bagel community, cheering for the underdog on her breakfast mission...even though the underdog had no idea this crowd transformation had even happened.
It was a great day for humanity.
It was almost my turn, and I realized the woman in front of me had some kind of mental impairment. She was trying to order for a big group of people, having been sent as the official "Bagel Emissary" of the day. Her speech was garbled and very difficult to understand. The server behind the counter looked beseechingly at me, as if to say, "Can you understand her? I'm not getting any of this!"
I approached the counter and looked down at the paper from which this customer was reading. I could see the names of people someone had written down. "Vanessa wants a blueberry bagel?" I asked her? She nodded yes. "And Sarah wants whole wheat toasted with butter?" Another nod. The woman behind the counter visibly relaxed. She was hanging on every word from the "over-the-shoulder" Bagel Whisperer. "Charlie wants a plain bagel with cream cheese?" "Yeah," the woman confirmed.
And then the most amazing thing happened. The line of people behind me all stopped what they were doing and listened. They wanted for this woman. They wanted her to succeed on her bagel mission. "It's ok," a man from the back of the line called out, "Take your time. We don't mind waiting. Just make sure everyone on your list gets the bagels they want." Others on line nodded in agreement.
Together, we went through the entire list. The woman gathered her bagels, and left. The server behind the counter thanked me. I was on the verge of tears. Not out of sadness or pity -- but because I saw a room full of impatient strangers, transform into loving, compassionate and patient souls. They became a supportive bagel community, cheering for the underdog on her breakfast mission...even though the underdog had no idea this crowd transformation had even happened.
It was a great day for humanity.
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