I Am Not a Generous Person

I like to get to work at 8.30, so I can leave at 4.30 and be home by 5pm. I don’t know why, it just seems to make the day seem shorter.

This morning it was going to be a struggle, as I hit the unusually heavy traffic on Burnley Street. We crawled along bumper to bumper, I don’t know why, at 8am it isn’t normally like that.

I had just got to the traffic lights at Swan Street, where there were two guys by the side of the road, next to a white ute. One of the guys had a set of jumper leads in his hand and he indicated that he needed a jump start.

I was at the lights, ready to go. I was next, finally. I thought, no, bugger you buddy, I’m not doing that. No, no, no! I pointed to my watch and indicated that I was pushed for time. I shrugged, as if to say it was beyond my control. He looked kind of disappointed, resigned, hopeful.

Then I thought, I’ve been in that situation, where I just needed a “jump” to get going. It really wouldn’t take long, just a few minutes and everybody gets to go. I’d like some to do that for me, if I needed it. I can’t be that mean person.

So, begrudgingly, I pulled into the laneway just in front of them. I backed back around and pulled up nose to nose with his ute. “Thanks mate, thanks mate, I really appreciate this.”

“It’s just that I am late for work.” Not, actually, true, but I was persisting with the story. Why do we do that?

He had the leads ready to go. I popped the bonnet. He attached the leads. His buddy started the ute. The ute fired into life.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Thanks a lot, mate,” said his buddy hanging his head out of the driver’s window. “You are a champion.”

I felt like a fraud.

The first guy laughed. “You can probably catch the same set of lights, you know.” He closed my bonnet. Thud!

I backed around into Burnley Street. I drove forward into the lane way. He stepped out into the traffic and held up his hand and stopped the cars. I reversed out into the left hand lane of Burnley Street, where I had been in the beginning. Then I selected first gear and drove off through the set of green lights I would have driven through if I hadn’t helped them.

I didn’t do it happily. I didn’t do it with a sense of helping my fellow man. I did it begrudgingly. Guilted into it, if you like. I felt kind of ashamed of myself as I drove away, considering it took just a minute, less.
I got to work right on 8.30.

I am not a generous person.