I am always blown away by the kindness of strangers. I get caught up all too often with my need to know all the answers to all of the questions, and forget sometimes that there are other people out there who have some answers, too, and they are willing to help. They are all around, and sometimes we meet them in the most unusual ways.
Today, I met one such person while in line at the drugstore here in Aix. Here’s the story…….
On my way back to the apartment for the day yesterday, I stopped at the grocery store for some supplies. Probably because of the stupor-inducing cold medicine I have been taking….in addition to the uneven sidewalk….I slid off of the curb and hurt my foot. It was one of those slow-motion moments. You know the kind. You are kind of watching a slow moving action from outside of yourself, you know what the outcome will be and you know that it’s too late to do anything about it. Very painful. When I got back to the apartment to assess the damage, I found a swelling toe and knuckle joint that was beginning to turn blue. I got out my ice pack and started icing.
When I got up this morning, it was worse. I mulled over my options and decided that I would get ready for the day and head down to Adrian’s coffee emporium. Maybe I was over-reacting. (Me?! Never!) I got my latte and settled in. After some musing, I decided that I would go to the drugstore and ask the pharmacist if she could take a look and let me know if she thought I should find a doctor. When I got up to the front of the line and tried to explain my situation, en français,the pharmacist said (in a nice way), “I don’t do that. You should find a doctor.” Really?! A woman in line behind me tapped me on the shoulder and in very clear American english said, “I have a doctor here in Aix en Provence. I’ll give you his name. He speaks English.”
So, after she spoke to the pharmacist about her issue, she came over and gave me his name. Even offered to call him for me because she wasn’t sure the receptionist spoke English. I declined her offer, but how nice! I took the name of the doctor, his number and his location. I thanked her and she said, “It’s OK. I moved here from Minneapolis, and I know what it’s like when you need help.” And, we went on.
Again, I considered my options and decided that there was really nothing a doctor was going to do about my foot, even if my toe was broken. So, I continued on with my day.
In the course of the rest of my day, I began to look at things around me in a different light. I have to say that I was beginning to feel sorry for myself. Here I am in provence, my first week, and I have a bad cold that is keeping me from carrying out my travel plan, and now this. Nasty curb! But, I have to say that the kindness of this woman put me in a better frame of mind.
I continued on in my day to find myself sitting in a cafe with a very interesting young German woman who was visiting Aix en Provence so that she could complete her master’s thesis in art and architecture. We spoke mostly with her broken english, but also with my broken french. She was very interesting to talk to and had a perspective on Germany that I hadn’t heard before. She felt it was a very “young” country because of the bringing down of the Berlin wall and the possibilities that has brought and would bring for her country. She had thought about it carefully and had come to this conclusion. Interesting. We also talked about what she would be doing in the next few weeks and months to complete her degree. She was delightful and so enthusiastic about her life that you could not help but become involved in it.
Then, I stopped in at the main church here in Aix en Provence to take a break. I decided that walking on my bruised foot and toe was a good choice for some reason. I sat down in the church to muse a bit and after about 10 minutes, a young organist came out of nowhere and began practicing. What a treat! It was like a private concert just for me!
As I was walking back to the apartment, who did I see but the same woman who had given me her doctor’s name and information. She was driving along, saw me and stopped to see if I was OK. We talked briefly and she went on. How nice!
Also saw a funny group of tourists on Segways posing for a picture. I took a shot as well and they waved me on.
I made my way back to the apartment and I saw my neighbor Anna and her cute daughter Nadia. We had a fun conversation. Before too long, Monique joined us. I had mentioned to Anna that I had not been feeling well and she asked how I was doing. When Monique heard that I had been sick, she immediately went into her stash of homeopathic medicines and gave me a pill, which I took. No clue what it was, but how nice!
I’m thinking about all of the nice things that have happened today and am feeling happy to be here having this sometimes fun, sometimes trying and sometimes eye-opening experience. And, I am just getting started. Imagine all of the other things that are in store for me!
I can’t wait!
Bonne Nuit!
Travel With Betsy 
Leave a comment