The Honor Was Mine...

hebegebe
Mon, 23 Jan 2017 09:47:44 +0000

I had returned to grad school about 10 years ago in the Boston area. One day after classes were over, I was heading to my car when I was approached by a middle-aged couple that was clearly lost and distraught. They were looking for Kendall square in Cambridge and given that it was about a mile away, I offered to drive them.

I learned during the drive that they were from Vermont, and had driven down to Boston in preparation for an overseas flight. They just heard the shocking news that their young daughter in Switzerland had a stroke, and were in Boston a day early to get passports before flying the next day. They had taken a cab from the passport office to Kendall square but couldn’t find their car.

Well, their car wasn’t in Kendall square. After driving for an hour, we found it miles away in Boston, in Kenmore Square. These poor people had understandably got confused on this most horrible of days. They were so grateful they invited me to Vermont, and the husband gave me his card. I replied back saying this is your time, and to call me afterwards if they wanted too. They never did, and I didn’t want to intrude regarding their daughter’s health.