The Kindness of Friends
There is a quote from the movie, Streetcar Named Desire that goes something like, ”I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.” The term, ‘kindness of strangers’ is one that resonates with many of us and tends to be the go-to in demonstrating the goodness of this here humanity we are all part of. A person buys a hot coffee for a homeless man on the street corner at Christmas time, someone gets up from their seat on a crowded subway car in order to allow the elderly lady who just boarded to rest her weary bones, two guys leaving the park after yet another Aston Villa loss, happen upon some punk threatening a young lady and intervene to chase him off…these kind of examples are usually trumpeted and given a prominence in the media that when heard about, give us hope. And rightly so!
Recently, I was in Toronto to take some photos at the International Auto Show. It was the coldest day of our dear Canadian winter and as we made our way along the street - the high, surrounding buildings acting like a wind tunnel and whipping the frigid air right through any and all protective clothing been worn - I noticed a homeless person sitting on the pavement. As we passed, whilst cursing how damned cold it was, I could see, peeking out beneath the many, grungy layers of coats and blankets was the head of the man’s dog…keeping each other alive in the bitter, freezing temperatures. I, as did everyone else I saw, just kept on scurrying right by. Where was the kindness of strangers there? Where was my kindness to strangers? At least some money in the used coffee cup in front of him surely! Moments later, I was photographing a Lamborghini Huracán (that would set its new owner back roughly $275,000 dollars), as well as many other similar exotic sports cars. The irony wasn’t totally lost on me, thank goodness.
Anyway, what is sometimes overlooked, or underappreciated is another version of kindness…that being the one of friends. “Hey, he’s my friend, he should lend me his power mower whilst mine is being serviced”, or, “She’s my friend, of course I can call her and ask if she can pick up little Vicki from school.” It is to be expected, or else, like how can you call me your friend. As a few of you will know, from time to time, I get together with a few fellows to snap a few photos, trash-talk opposing brands of cameras and guzzle back liquids produced from roasted coffee beans. A number of weeks back, I retired from my regular day gig and so, we planned an evening at “our local” for a festive pint of The Goodness to celebrate my liberation…the job wasn’t quite Stalag 17 but, some days it felt like it. Lo’ and behold (if you type the word lo’, it is standard writing procedure that ‘behold’ should follow and no one ever questions this), as the only chap of “The Bando” not owning a film camera, my fellow Kvarers presented this to me. To say the least, I was blown away.
So, I am here to trumpet the Kindness of Friends! Thank you guys…it is so much appreciated!
Or, as a great man once said, “We're nihilists, we believe in nothing! Except our friends!”
The Kindness of Friends
There is a quote from the movie, Streetcar Named Desire that goes something like, ”I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.” The term, ‘kindness of strangers’ is one that resonates with many of us and tends to be the go-to in demonstrating the goodness of this here humanity we are all part of. A person buys a hot coffee for a homeless man on the street corner at Christmas time, someone gets up from their seat on a crowded subway car in order to allow the elderly lady who just boarded to rest her weary bones, two guys leaving the park after yet another Aston Villa loss, happen upon some punk threatening a young lady and intervene to chase him off…these kind of examples are usually trumpeted and given a prominence in the media that when heard about, give us hope. And rightly so!
Recently, I was in Toronto to take some photos at the International Auto Show. It was the coldest day of our dear Canadian winter and as we made our way along the street - the high, surrounding buildings acting like a wind tunnel and whipping the frigid air right through any and all protective clothing been worn - I noticed a homeless person sitting on the pavement. As we passed, whilst cursing how damned cold it was, I could see, peeking out beneath the many, grungy layers of coats and blankets was the head of the man’s dog…keeping each other alive in the bitter, freezing temperatures. I, as did everyone else I saw, just kept on scurrying right by. Where was the kindness of strangers there? Where was my kindness to strangers? At least some money in the used coffee cup in front of him surely! Moments later, I was photographing a Lamborghini Huracán (that would set its new owner back roughly $275,000 dollars), as well as many other similar exotic sports cars. The irony wasn’t totally lost on me, thank goodness.
Anyway, what is sometimes overlooked, or underappreciated is another version of kindness…that being the one of friends. “Hey, he’s my friend, he should lend me his power mower whilst mine is being serviced”, or, “She’s my friend, of course I can call her and ask if she can pick up little Vicki from school.” It is to be expected, or else, like how can you call me your friend. As a few of you will know, from time to time, I get together with a few fellows to snap a few photos, trash-talk opposing brands of cameras and guzzle back liquids produced from roasted coffee beans. A number of weeks back, I retired from my regular day gig and so, we planned an evening at “our local” for a festive pint of The Goodness to celebrate my liberation…the job wasn’t quite Stalag 17 but, some days it felt like it. Lo’ and behold (if you type the word lo’, it is standard writing procedure that ‘behold’ should follow and no one ever questions this), as the only chap of “The Bando” not owning a film camera, my fellow Kvarers presented this to me. To say the least, I was blown away.
So, I am here to trumpet the Kindness of Friends! Thank you guys…it is so much appreciated!
Or, as a great man once said, “We're nihilists, we believe in nothing! Except our friends!”