Summary: Heart Of Altruism

Heart of Altruism
One of the foremost issues with that of humanity is the inception of altruism- of why one would do something for someone else that in the process would encroach repercussions to one’s own wellbeing. Is human nature truly, fundamentally rooted in selfishness; or perhaps there is more to people than most expect? Nowadays in our increasingly interconnected world, people tend to focus on the ruthless competition humans entail as population increases, but most do not recognize that humans could not survive without the aid of charity from others. I feel that out of any aspect of human nature, it’s the altruistic values that assist people in their endeavors as they strive to reach into the dark haze of the unknown that is the future, and I myself focus on these values heavily.

I happen to work at a grocery store, my job requiring me to help everyday people find everyday things while helping them deal with everyday problems.

The job was enjoyable; it gave me the chance to socialize with people and help them, and it taught me to work hard. Somedays, customers would have some questionable issues, August 3rd, 2015 being one of them. I recently took my break when my manager called me over to help with a customer at the service desk. I molded my hand into a fist; I just wanted to relax for a bit. An older woman in her mid-60’s greeted me along with some of my co-workers where they explained the situation to me. They asked me to help the woman to her car. The catch? Doctors recently diagnosed the woman with

dementia.
People like this weren’t out of the ordinary in the store, but most of us were inexperienced when handling people with similar diseases. As we walked outside, she struggled to find any words to describe the car, only vaguely remembering the license plate number. She had no way of locating the car with a panic button since she did not carry one. Anxiety took over her thoughts and she began wringing her hands, sweating, all while nervously ranting about her lost car. I took my time to comfort her as much as I could, calming her down by reassuring her that we’d find her and that she’d make it home safe. I managed to calm her down enough and I began to scour the parking lot for her, checking each and every individual car.
Thirty minutes passed and our search finally lead us to the end of the parking lot. By this point, I had lost the time on my break, which I never did get back. At this point, she made sure to keep close to me, meticulously checking the license plate of each car along with me, until I finally came across a smaller, mid-sized car. The plate number on the car was similar to what she had mentioned, except the number had different placements. I pointed the car out for her and, suddenly, she started to cry. Quickly, she ran for the car, pulling her key out of her purse and putting in the car. Thankfully, I managed to find her car. She looked towards me and walked over to give me a hug. I never forgot what she said.
“Thank you so much,” she said through her tears. “I’m sorry I was such a bother, but you made my world. I want you to tell whoever you know that you’re a great person in my book.”
She eventually got in her car and returned home safely using a GPS she owned. Perhaps sometimes the sacrifices we make to work hard for others isn’t that big. It might be something like your own time, or maybe it’s something a bit more important, but there is no limit to the good one can do, even when they must forfeit their benefits.