Penny's SAHM Journal

March 28, 2005

Japanese Bus Art in Maryland to D.C.
A Japanese man touches lives through simple acts of kindness.


I've decided to do a little something different with today's journal
entry. I'd like to quote an e-mail I received from Tee Jenkins, a
dear friend of mine who lives in Maryland. Here's is what she sent to
me at about noon today. And I quote:

"This morning (around 7:20 a.m.), I was riding on the 26 bus. I sat
on the driver's side in the second front seat. Across from me in the
first front seat sat a seasoned Japanese man. He was busy cutting
small pieces of black construction paper. Satisfied with his
creation, he then gave it to a young woman. I instantly smiled at the
woman who was beaming while staring at what was given to her. She tried to figure out what it was. I called out in my clumsy Spanish, "Sombrero de escuela." I was trying to say, "Graduation Cap." I then said, "Come se dice" graduation" in espanol?" A Spanish speaking gentleman understood me and then he translated to the young woman. While this translation attempt was taking place, the Japanese man was steadily cutting away. Next thing I know, he hands me a silhouette of a woman. Then he cuts out a graduation cap and gives that to me as well. I smile and say, "Arrigato!" because I think this means thank you in Japanese. He smiles and nods his head in agreement. The man gets back to cutting and then looks at another woman and gestures that
his next creation will be for her. I just beam and think to myself,
"How sweet. He is such a sweet man. Look at all the people he made smile this morning." As I watched him happily cut away, I thought about a recent article I read about how doing nice things for people is a powerful anti-depressant for the giver and receiver. I thought to myself that the article missed the fact that witnesses to acts of kindness get a nice feel-good boost as well.

By the time the bus arrived at Glenmont station, four women (including myself) had beautiful graduate women silhouettes. This really touched me. As the man walked off the bus, I quickly followed him and tapped him on the shoulder. I thanked him again in Japanese. I had placed my silhouette in my book and I already knew what I was going to do with it.

I thought this was such a beautiful way to start the early Monday rush to work.

I just wanted to share this as well as memorialize it so as to
preserve this memory forever :-)"

End of Tee's story!

Isn't this an awesome story? Kind gestures such as these are some of life's best medicine and, to me, portray the God in us! Tee, thanks for sharing. What a heart-warming story! I love it!!!

Penny 3/28/05
Momtoaboy@aol.com