An Account of Unexpected Kindness: The Time a Student Let Me Sleep on Her Dormitory Ground
During the year 2006, I made a trip to Canberra for an interview at a medical college. I assumed to arrange accommodation upon arrival, but once I got there, a large conference was happening and all the youth hostels and cheap hotels were fully booked.
Coming from the city-state of Singapore, the idea crossed my mind the possibility of just sleep at the airport – but quickly found Canberra airport, not like the one back home, does not operate around the clock. Unsure of what my next move should be and getting a bit desperate, I caught a bus into town and started wandering in the direction of the casino, reasoning it was a place to spend those hours somewhere that stayed open through the night. That wouldn’t put me in the ideal condition for nailing an interview the following day, yet, as a cash-strapped student, a pricey hotel was out of reach.
We could all use more people who show such kindness.
It seems I seemed lost as a woman noticed me walking aimlessly through downtown and wondered whether I needed help. I explained my predicament and right away she offered I was welcome to sleep on the ground of her dormitory at the Australian National University – a perfect solution, considering that was where my medical school interview would take place the next morning. She even offered me some free dinner: a leftover filled rolls she had from her evening job. I had access to a hot shower and a secure location and safe to sleep.
In retrospect, I now understand the enormous leap of faith she undertook being a woman inviting a guy she’d just met sleep on her floor. Back then I operated under my own unawareness and did not consider to the potential danger. Now, as a father, I am astonished she did that – and remain deeply appreciative.
Ultimately, I did not study at the Australian National University, and I never saw the student afterwards, but her act remains etched in my mind her selfless deed of human compassion. I hope karma has rewarded her good deed abundantly. We could all use more folks like that woman.
