My good deed for the day

Category: Society
As I was walking home from work tonight a saw a group of Japanese men standing on the corner of Fullerton and Halstead starting at a CTA map. They were obviously trying to figure out where they wanted to go. I was going to walk right past them. You know how it is in a city. You figure someone else will help them. In fact I did walk a few steps past them. But the Lincoln Park neighborhood is full of students heading toward the bars. They really aren't thinking about helping a gaggle of tourists. So I turned around and asked them where they were headed.
It so happened that they were going toward the train that I was going to take so I offered to show them the way. They were only a block away. But as I was walking with them I realized that they weren't even sure which train to get onto. Now Chicago public transit is easier than say New York transit, but you can still get pretty turned around if you're not sure where to go. So I showed them how to work the card machine and which train to get on. Even though it was on the opposite platform that I was supposed to get on.
I felt kind of bad about my attitude though. Like I said I had just gotten of of work and the temperature had dropped significantly from what it had been this afternoon. I only had a thin wind breaker that wasn't cutting it as far as I was concerned. So I was pretty quiet on the walk to the train and a little shore with them. Plus I felt like I was talking down to them. Their English was stilted and I don't know any Japanese at all. Our conversation consisted of a lot of pointing and broken English. I would have liked to learn more about them. Like what brought them to Chicago. What the did for a living and I think if I hadn't had such a long day I would have been more interested. I was thinking though that I wanted to get these guys headed toward where they wanted to go and get home. Change into my sweats and make myself a hot cup of tea. They probably think that even the good Samaritan are rude from m conduct. I feel a little bad about my demeanor. But I think I would have been more upset with myself if I had walked past them and jus gone home. As we were walking to the train station though the train that I should have gotten onto lef the station. And of course the next one didn't come for quite a while. So I got to stand in the cold waiting for m train home, while the recipients of m help got to get on a heated train almost immediately and head on their merry way. Once I told them which train to get onto and let them know how long it would take the all bowed to me. Which was kinda weird, you see stuff like that on t.v. but you don't expect it to happen to you. All in all I guess I feel pretty good about myself. I would have liked to maybe get to know them better. If I had been dressed warmer I may have even gone downtown with them. I feel maybe I missed an experience. Oh well. I hope that they will remember my help even if I was a little short with them.
Well that's my good deed for the day. Not the most spectacular act, but kind just the same. I hope those gentlemen have an enjoyable evening and I wish them well.