Books and their covers

I love being proven wrong about a person. Some of my favourite moments are when moments of kindness come from people who look like they might be more interested in robbing you. Today I walked out of a store (OK, fine, it was Babies R' Us. I'm a walking cliche, so sue me) and as I did two young men were walking by. They looked like thugs, to be completely frank. One had his shirt off and he was tattooed on his chest and stomach, he was wearing a bandana and his friend was wearing baggy clothes and they were walking down the sidewalk like they owned it. They looked at me and said "Congratulations and best of luck to you with your delivery." They made me smile. Maybe they are thugs. Maybe if I wasn't pregnant and was walking down a dark street at night alone they would try something, but maybe not. Or maybe people aren't black and white and the same guy who mugs someone is also a doting father who would lay his life on the line for his child or anyone else's for that matter. In a city like this I have to believe in the gray area. I'm a good person but I don't always do what my conscience tells me. Also today I was walking down the sidewalk towards a guy who was smoking and he moved out of my way as I passed. A smoker actually paid attention to his surroundings. Of course yesterday I was on a crowded subway and no one offered me a seat until we were almost at my stop and which I point I didn't bother accepting (she then got off too, which made her offer a little less sincere in my book but whatever, at least she offered. And yes, more women have offered me their seats than men). But, I know that woman is not a bad person because she didn't offer me her seat, some people are just clueless. Paying attention is something I plan on ingraining in my child - not just for safety reasons but because it's just polite. Watch where you're going, notice who is around you, make adjustments if necessary, inconvenience yourself for a moment if it will make someone else's life easier and be appreciative when others do the same for you. While I recognize that being pregnant is not a handicap, I have certainly become ever more aware of people with special needs and how much the smallest bit of kindness can mean in someone's life.