The Power of the Uniform

Tonight, I had one of those experiences that I'll probably remember for the rest of my life. For me, it's usually the simple things that stick with me. There are a few stories from Beaners, an influential teacher, and a couple of memorable moments that I will probably always remember. (If you're ever wondering what they are, ask me. I love talking about them because they are probably the most influential events in my life.)

It all starts with trying to get a library card from the New York Public Library. If New York City is a Zoo, the library would be the monkey exhibit. I had gotten out of training and thought I would quickly walk down to the library. One of the rules in City Year is that you're not supposed to jay walk when you're wearing your uniform. Well, the library was about 25 blocks from training and stopping at almost every street corner mean that the walk was not quick. Anyway, I made it into the line to get my library card. As it turns out, I let one person go ahead of me and got cut in line by another woman. It took 30 minutes of standing in line to get to the desk and when I got there, the man said his desk was closing. He gave me the form and told me to meet him at the other desk. By the time I finished filling it out, everyone had gotten ahead of me again. I decided to fill out the application online.

Here's the real story (finally!). =)
I got off the subway at our station and passed a man with a cane about to go up the stairs. He looked pretty unsteady and was carrying a bag in one hand. I asked if I could carry his bag up the stairs for him. He obliged and we made the 20 minute trek up the stairs. Robert talked to me the whole way up. I learned that he was in the service for 15 years and served during the Cold War. Well, we got to the top of the stairs where there's a fruit stand maybe 5 yards away. Unfortunately, for this man, that is quite a distance. He asked if I could buy him some fruit and told me to pick something out for myself. The lady at the fruit stand knew him and gave me a free banana for helping him.

I then accompanied him across the street to a convenience store to buy the paper. He then insisted on buying me a cup of tea at the donut store on the corner. When we first sat down, another man came in off the street and approached me, saying that he had heard of City Year (I was still wearing my t-shirt) and he told me that he appreciated everything we were doing. But I sat with Robert for half an hour while we drank tea.

Luckily his residence was on the way back to my apartment so I carried his bags back for him (which took half an hour to walk one block). Robert lives and works in a Christian housing facility for people who would otherwise be homeless. He started living there after he returned from the Veterans Hospital. He was never homeless but lives there to help out with the day to day functions and oversight of the apartments.

All in all, the trip took over 2 hours but it was completely worth every minute I spent with him. When we got back to his apartment, we stopped to pray. He thanked God for me and prayed that He would keep me safe.

I apologize for this incredibly long story and I probably lost everyone after the first, boring paragraph. :) But this is exactly the type of impact I wanted to have when I came to New York. Fortunately, the community and its members are also having a huge impact on me as well. I'm going to learn a lot more than I initially imagined.