just call me mother theresa

I'm not gonna lie, I have improved four people's lives today... or tried to at least. Well, maybe not so much improved but rather didn't make worse. This afternoon I spent five hours in a library, researching for one of the three papers that separates me from three weeks of recuperation with my trusty dog at my side. Rereading that sentence, I can't help but think it makes me sound like a fireworks accident victim adjusting to my new life as a blind woman with my new seeing eye dog. But no worries... eyeballs remain intact and functioning. Anyway. My deeds of the day:

1) While in the library, I fixed a photocopy machine and taught a guy, who was obviously having some difficulties with the technological marvels of the modern age, how to select a paper tray and push "copy." Impressive, since I don't pride myself on my technological abilities. I mean hell, at home when I invite friends over to watch a movie they know ahead of time that there's going to be a 25 minute delay while I figure out how to unhook this cable and switch this cable in order to get the DVD contraption to work... preferably WITH sound...

2) Also while in the library, a girl asked me how to turn on the little reading lights. And, being the kind and helpful person I am, I told her "you just have to push the little red button" which, to her credit, is actually pretty hidden and it took watching someone else do it before I found said button. Her face lit up with glee and she hugged me and asked for my autograph and then said she wanted to buy me a coffee! Thats a blatant lie. Actually she just returned to her desk and switched on her light. And then made out with her boyfriend, yes of COURSE in the library. Luckily my Christmas songs on my Ipod drowned out the suctioning noises as they bounced back and forth between the library walls.

3) Now this one is a pretty big deal. Being at this library meant that I was not in my part of the city. However, when a woman came up to me asking how to get to the nearest metro station, I could actually give her directions with some degree of certainty. A bit of a deviation from the norm, as the conversation tends to go a little more like:

"Excuse me do you know where the nearest metro station is?
"Ummm .. errrr... I thinnnnk.. hm... I don't know"
Asker detects an American accent and gives you that sympathetic, disappointed look that seems to be saying, "Ohhh of course you don't know... you're Amerrrrican..."

Anyways, I was pretty excited that I could orient myself, as in addition to my technological inabilities, I am also not known for my outstanding directional sense... 23 years later and I know for a fact that I have given people wrong directions WITHIN my town. Oh the beach? Yeah yeah just take a right here and keep going... you'll see it. Then you realize two minutes later, as you watch the beachware-clad older couple take a right in their Buick, that you should have said left.

4) I have recently been trying to get in the habit of complimenting strangers more when they've got something goin' for them that should be acknowledged. Getting into the habit meaning I've done it like, 3 times. And pretty much only when I'm alone travelling around on the metro, which always allows for some boredom and some serious people-watching... but regardless. I almost always have a little notepad with me for whatever purpose, so if I see, taking today for example, a girl with hair that I basically want to cut from her head and attach it instead to mine, I jot down the compliment and if I get off before them I hand it to them on the way out the door. They probably just throw it out like all the little publicity ads that get handed out all over the city for Ali-Babba's Typical Indian Restaurant, Learn English/Italian/German/French in 6 weeks!, Wax your whole body for 8 euros!, or what have you... but who knows. On the other hand maybe it made her day just a smidge better.