The day I came to the US, after a massive cultural shock that took some time for me to absorb, I realized what a terrible place I was living in. It was a private home in a typical American residential neighborhood, and the place was literally empty. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact how would some one live in such isolation, without any shops/stores nearby or any public transportation (I hadn’t figured out the car culture yet). I just stood there in front of the house, staring back at the empty street behind me. Fortunately, my room mate let me in, and left soon after. I decided to call my parents and my girlfriend to let them know I finally came home. That’s when I realized that my phone and laptop were dead and I forgot to bring US wall adapters to charge them with. I was shit scared. I thought, lets just explore the place, maybe I’ll find an “Electronics shop” nearby. How wrong was I! I literally walked all around the neighborhood, and forgets shops, didn’t see a single living soul. As I was headed back to my place, I caught a glimpse of a deer crossing my path. Overly excited of watching an actual deer in the middle of the town, I decided to follow a deer. The deer led me to a private property, where an old woman was watering her plants. As I approached her, she asked me “How are you doing?”. As I literally was unaware of this phrase at the time, I replied “Not good actually, I am looking for some shops nearby but can’t find any” She: Oh, we have a Walmart on X street. Maybe you could go there? Me: I’m sorry, this is my first day in the US. I needed an adapter to charge my phone and laptop. I’m not sure where Walmart is. She: Wait, let me go get my husband. After about 2 mins, an elderly gentleman comes out into the yard. Husband: How are you doing son? Lets go to Walmart. They literally took me to Walmart, and I bought the things that I needed. It took me some time to search (20 mins), while they waited for me. When I was done: ME: Thank you so much. Do you know where I could buy a SIM card here? I really need one, as I need to talk to my parents. Husband: Lets go to the neighboring town, they have an AT&T store over there. Maybe they can help you out. I was speechless at this point. The neighboring town was at least 10 miles away, and I heard the lady talking about something cooking in their oven. I literally didn’t have words to express how thankful I was to them. This was literally my first day in the US and these strangers went out of their way to help a guy they saw trespassing into their property. We eventually went to the neighboring town, and I got what I was looking for. They even drove through the university campus that I was supposed to go to a few days later. It’s difficult perhaps to fully comprehend how kind they were. I hope they live fulfilling lives.” By Anirudh Deshpande on Quora If you ever meet someone who is alone in a new place, be sure to ask if they need any information or help. Maybe they just need someone to talk to for a few minutes. That can change everything, and make their life a lot better.
