Living in a society where everyone is concerned about their wellbeing as well as that of the other societal members is always encouraging. As underlined in the common good approach ethical framework, improving the welfare of others by doing things that uplift their lives is vital in ensuring that people impact societies positively. It is always my joy to help others whenever I am in a position to do so, as I would also expect people to lend their hand in case I find myself in trouble. One of the memorable times I helped someone was a year ago at the airport where I had a friend leaving for Texas. Most of the flights had been affected that day due to bad weather, and I bumped into one traveler known as Gabriel, a young man who was trying to convince one of the attendants how the rescheduling of his trip to the next day would see him suffer because he had no money left. I intervened to understand his exact concern and realized that he was a student in the U.S. who had connected a flight from New Haven, and was traveling to Brazil to be with his family during the winter break.
Being a student too, I easily related to his tribulations because it would be costly for him to get a hotel room for the night. Moreover, missing his flight the following morning would cost him his air ticket. As the norm with international students where all the financial support is usually rendered by parents back at home who have other children to fend too, his budget was highly constrained. He narrated to me that the only option he had was to stay in the airport’s waiting bay till the following day as he could not afford the ensuing cost. I empathized with him and tried to make him that such instances are inevitable in one’s life. His flight had been rescheduled to 10 am the following day so I suggested that he accompanies me to my apartment so that he would freshen up, sleep, and wake up early to prepare for the flight. At first, he appeared to suspect my generosity for malice and after some hesitation, he accepted my offer. We saw off my friend together as domestic flights had not been affected.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Helping a Friend in Trouble".
We left the airport and went to the apartment where my brother and I welcomed him cordially, and it was evident on his face that he felt at home. My brother prepared a meal for us that we all enjoyed as my new friend was narrating his life at Yale University and how he loved life in America despite the high cost of living. During the time we shared our identities in social networks to enable us to check up on each other often. He told us that he was the first born in a family of five and his parents had sold up property to educate him. As a result, he had to spend any money sent to him sparingly to ensure that he did not burden the parents. The cancellation of his flight was a real headache as he had already arrived at the airport and the money he had was budgeted. He wanted to have some cash to help him buy some perks for his sisters once he touched down in Rio. Additionally, studying in the U.S. is highly regarded in his village and he did not want to be broke as it would attract ridicule. When it was time to sleep, we shared one bed with my brother so that he could sleep comfortably on his own.
I woke up at 5 am in the next day to prepare breakfast and ensure that he had enough time to catch his flight. My brother was supposed to leave the house early for work so he could not drive him to the airport. However, he left some money to help me pay for Gabriel’s cab. After breakfast we both readied ourselves to leave the house, I was supposed to go to school and him to the airport. We bade goodbye and wished him a safe flight as he shed tears and expressed his appreciation, promising to get in touch. After a few hours, he called me and assured that he had boarded the plane and would let me know when he arrived in Rio. Later in the day after I returned home from school, I found a note he had left in the wardrobe saying that he had never met a stranger who was so helpful in his life. He vowed to repay the gratitude one day. Gabriel called after two days, full of ecstasy and requested me to speak with his parents on the phone, and they were pleased by my humble gesture. Our friendship has strengthened and he has hosted me several times during my periodic trips to Connecticut. Moreover, his mother gave him a traditional Brazilian jewelry to bring me as a souvenir to help me remember them in my life. This scenario has remained my favorite as through it I have learned the importance of helping others. If I had not assisted Gabriel, he would not have been able to buy presents for his siblings. Again, he would not have had the confidence needed to make his village mates recognize the significance of studying hard to make it to a foreign land as the U.S.
