The Big Blue Marble Newsletter: Sample Article

Her mind traveled crooked streets and aimless goat paths, arriving sometimes at profundity, other times at the revelations of a three year old.
Toni Morrison

The Kindness of Strangers

During New Year's in 1989, my parents and I went to Rome, Italy as part of an inexpensive independent package tour.

One day, we took a taxi back to our hotel.? A few minutes after?the taxi left us at the curb, my mom realized that her purse was still somewhere in the cab.? Panicking because?the purse contained all of our travel documents, tickets, and money (Note: I recommend that you put these things in different places), my mother reported her missing purse to our hotel?s concierge. ?He shrugged and said nonchalantly, ?You never know.? Your purse might show up.?

About ten minutes, the taxi cab driver returned to our hotel?carrying my mother?s purse.? Ecstatic, my mother reached inside her pocketbook?to tip?the driver. I noticed that she was about to give?him around a hundred dollars in lira.? I?asked her,?Why are you giving him so much??? ?My mom replied, ?He saved our vacation?.? I shut up because I realized my mom was right.? He saved us countless hours and a lot of money and he deserved to be compensated for helping us so much.? When my mom gave?him the money,?he said, ?That?s too much.???My mom answered, ?It?s OK.?? The driver quickly reached out and gave my mom a big sloppy kiss before departing.