The Kindness of Strangers
Yesterday in Houston at approximately 3:12 p.m. it rained. And, like many rains in Houston, it started without warning, the streets were quickly flooded, and my wipers wiped the windshield enthusiastically. I was with a friend on our way to our favorite (and perhaps only) coffee shop, Bohemeos in the East End and after turning onto Cullen, I saw a white, blond woman already drenched, walking across the street in the middle of the nowhere warehouse area. There were no bus shelters, no trees, no awnings to keep her dry. I drove past her, thinking that I had my destination to get to, an obgligation to help my friend finish writing a chapter, it was already mid-afternoon and I had accomplished no writing myself, that she was already soaking wet and more water wasn't going to make a difference, that my new car didn't need a wet body sitting on its clean seats. I turned around, drove up to her, rolled down the windows, asked her if she would like a ride. Before goin...