The Tale of the Green Glove

People who live in New York City have a reputation.  For some, NYC is a place filled with people rushing here and there, people who are loud and offensive, people who are uncaring and people who "consider eye contact to be an act of aggression".

For others, NYC is a very different kind of place--a place where unexpected acts of kindness are commonplace, a place where people love their neighborhood and city, and a place where a little courtesy will take you far.  

A case in point.  Not long ago, Susan and Greg were catching a subway train to the west side of Manhattan.  

Lexington Avenue Station of the N, Q, R Line

As she hurried down the stairs into the tunnel, Susan realized she had dropped one of her gloves--one half of a favorite pair of gloves she'd had for 20 years.  Since we had to be somewhere on time, we did not double back to look for the missing glove.  It was rush hour, and hundreds (maybe thousands) of commuters were crowding into the station.  We told ourselves the glove was simply lost for good.  Too bad.

The Green Glove

Later that night, Greg returned on the subway and stopped in the station to look for the glove.  No glove was on the platform, no glove was on the stairs, no glove could be seen anywhere.  Then, just as Greg was leaving the station, he spotted the glove, which had been carefully placed on a ticket machine near the exit.  Some stranger had thoughtfully picked up the glove to prevent it from being trampled, muddied, and ruined and placed it where it would be found.  Susan and the glove were reunited.  Who'd have thought it?!?!

For us, NYC is the kind of place where unexpected acts of kindness are commonplace.