Trusting in strangers’ kindness

AIZA Seguerra

Quite a number of local TV shows are too trendily cynical and jaded to be truly inspirational. They subject viewers to a constant barrage of news items and features about crimes, con men, cold-hearted neighbors, contentious relatives and other unsavory types, resulting in a decidedly downbeat depiction of the country, or even the entire human race.

It’s heartening, therefore, to encounter TV features that teach us that it’s OK to trust in the kindness of strangers, like the recent program that had Aiza Seguerra, in heavy prosthetics, pretending to be a blind beggar looking for her lost grandmother. Would any of the strangers she met be able to overcome the initial shock and fear at her unusual behavior to help her in her time of need?

True enough, many of the people Aiza tearfully pleaded with to help her were either too unnerved, didn’t have the time, or simply couldn’t be bothered. But, lo and behold, there came this really “ordinary”-looking man who did offer to help. In fact, he even went out of his way to determine the whereabouts of the lola on the lam, and effected a happy reunion with “blind” Aiza.

After Aiza took off the prosthetics that hid her true identity, the Good Samaritan was surprised! And, he was even happier to learn that his singular act of kindness had impressed some donors so much that they decided to improve his lot in life in many different ways. Since he and his wife were hard-up, the unexpected bonanza was like manna from heaven!

Selfless example

We trust that the Good Samaritan’s selfless example inspired some viewers to be more helpful in their own lives as well – even if no “surprise” prizes are in store for them. Of course, when it comes to interacting with strangers, we all have to be on our guard, since there are many smooth talkers and con men out there.

But we should also be open to relating to strangers in a personal way, so we can more empathetically be able to determine who genuinely deserves to be helped.

Another feature on the kindness of strangers was telecast last month on the “Today” show: A young woman shared her unique plan to travel to a number of countries with no money at all, fully relying on the help of strangers to get her from one point to the next in her absolutely open-ended itinerary!

Naturally, many people warned her about the obvious dangers involved – some hitchhikers end up raped, mugged or dead; tricksters abound in all countries in the planet; unexpected accidents or other crises have to be anticipated and dealt with, etc.

Despite these well-intentioned warnings, however, the young woman in her global search for a series of Good Samaritans pushed through with her trip, and she was happy she did. It exposed her to some risky situations, but it also enabled her to meet many caring people who selflessly helped her not just to get from one place to another, but to also discover the basic and inherent humaneness of humanity.

The facial features, skin tones, racial types, languages, social contexts and belief systems may change, but we all really do belong to the global Family of Man.