Kindness, In Part

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I committed a genuine act of kindness for a stranger today, but it didn't feel as good as I imagined.

I had just left work when, just blocks from my office, a man standing by his car flagged me down. He was lost and trying to find his way home. He told me his address, which was in the next town over. I didn't have a smart phone or a GPS, but I did have a cell phone, which I used to call my friend who was still at work. She map-quested it (thanks for the kindness assist P.) and I wrote out the directions for the gentleman.

Complicating the exchange was the fact that he barely spoke English. I told him to follow me as the first few miles were on my way home. I told him that when I turned to get on the highway, he needed to go straight and follow the directions from there. He nodded and said that he could read what I had written, but I wasn't sure.

As soon I turned up the on ramp and waved, I instantly regretted not doing more to help him. In the rear view mirror I could see that he momentarily stopped in the middle of the road, confused I imagine, and then continued straight as I instructed. In that split second, it occurred to me it would have taken no more than 10 minutes help him get all the way home instead of halfway. But at that point I couldn't turn back.

The rest of my commute home was spent wondering if he found his way. I hoped that since he was able to ask me for help, he would find someone else to ask if needed and at least he was that much closer to home. I tried to console myself with the thought that half an act of kindness was better than none, but was it? I'm not sure.