Old People & Major Intersections

After finding my way back from Greenwich Village during a 3 hour break I have between classes today an elderly (you can’t say “old” because its apparently politically incorrect) lady managed to grab a piece my jacket as I walked by and quickly but politely asked If I could help her cross the street. In my NYC state of mind (which I’m usually in since I live in NYC…duh…so this kind of makes the beginning of the sentence pointless and redundant…whtvr) I looked at her for about 10 seconds and asked to clarify just incase I misheard: “I’m sorry– come again?”. She then told pointed towards a grocery store across the street and at the end of the block and said that’s where she wanted to go. Anyway, we quickly explored the “support” options (her crossing arms with mine/grabbing hold of my jacket, holding my hand) and she concluded that holding onto my jacket’s sleeve very tightly was the way to go. We slowly made our way across the street, over some snow piles and into the store where she released me of my duty and thanked me. I later thought about if she could’ve been some super-rich woman who might’ve tipped me like $100 just to cross the street and my recently done good-deed feeling diminished slightly. I guess old (yeah, I said it!) people still ask for help even in a city like NY; one would think the real question is how many people actually help? Crap, good-deed feeling diminishing once again. I sacrifice so much for the purpose of this blog!