Letter to the Editor: Compassion, alive and well at TAMIU

We have all seen people fall or have an unlikely mishap right in front of our eyes, and yes, we have all laughed. Websites like YouTube.com have endless offerings of those unfortunate, yet hilarious, embarrassing moments. Various television shows feature funny, outrageous, and sometimes shamelessly rehearsed video clips. Undoubtedly, as humans, we are drawn to disaster. We cannot avert our eyes from a car accident or a person changing a tire alongside a road. Curiosity gets the better of us, yet seldom do we stop and help. Not everyone, however, is devoid of compassion, at least not all the time. Sure, there are reasons why we cannot or do not stop to assist motorists in need, and yes, we try to help others when we can, or at least think about it. Most recently, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and since the beginning of the year, I have had to deal with the pains of both RA and. In translation, my knees and ankles have been habitually swollen, and I have had to walk in slow motion or with the aid of crutches since then. While it takes a normal walking person approximately 5 minutes or less to reach class from the furthest parking space, it takes me 10-15 minutes. I’m usually hauling a bevy of hefty literature books and notebooks in a worn out backpack and a pair of crutches, so opening doors can be quite cumbersome. Fellow students, however, have displayed compassion, good manners, and patience while they have opened and held doors for me, much to my appreciation.Random students who see me limping at a snail’s pace have also approached me, letting me know of a service offered by Campus Police, that of taxiing students with disabilities to and from their cars and classes, a service I have occasionally used. In addition, campus police, maintenance and OIT staff members in golf carts have offered me rides. Other students have kindly asked to carry my backpack as the strain of lugging Dickens and Chaucer books forms on my face. We may not be so disinclined to help someone in crutches, as they appear harmless enough. Still, there is something special about accomplishing small deeds that makes one feel good, and it is in these small acts of kindness that we show our humane sides, our compassion, that make us feel like humans.