Touching moments

Touching moments

A FEW weeks ago I was on a bus in Spain. Several seats in front was a rather odd but affable chap. I noticed that he was trying to communicate in a friendly manner with several fellow passengers, but without much success.

Sometime later, I noticed him again. He had come into the outdoor cafe we were in.

He was handing out tickets in many languages explaining that he was both deaf and dumb and would appreciate some help. I was bereft of Euro coins - incidentally, as I invariably am when I first arrive in the hotel and find I have nothing with which to tip the porter who brings up the suitcases.

When the deaf and dumb gentleman came over to me to collect, and having steeled myself for an inevitable cold stare from him I gave a hopeless shrug.

To my pleasant surprise, he touched my arm and smiled as he passed on to another table. It left me with a feeling that he knew what was important in life in spite of having such a crippling disability.

It also reminded me of a gynaecologist who was sitting with a lady who was dying of cervical cancer.

He was so tired that he fell asleep and found when he awoke that she had died - he vowed afterwards that none of his students would ever be so tired that they would neglect a patient.

We are all prone to becoming so obsessed with what seem to be vitally important thoughts, that we lose the opportunities of the present moment

Michael Jackson

Altrincham Interfaith Group