"Givers like me."

One of my basketball games was cancelled today, so I unexpectedly found myself with three hours to kill. I drove around one of my favorite little towns with the good sushi place, put gas in the car, ran the little errands that I can sometimes carve out of my crazy, unpredictable work schedule. I started to drive in the general direction of the town where my late game is, and I saw a woman about my age take off in a full-on run, uphill, after a bus she had clearly just missed.

I rolled down my window and asked if I could drive her to catch up with the bus. She jumped in the car (luckily not a serial killer) and caught her breath. We were chatting, and she was on her way to the mall where she works. I needed to drive right past the mall to get to my next assignment, so I offered to just drive her the way there, forget the bus.

We started chatting, in one of those instantaneous friendships that sometimes fall into my lap, and she mentioned she was late to work because she just broke up with her ex. He had called, and she was discombobulated. I laughed out load and told her I've been there, done that, in terms of both the lateness and the heartbreak. The ex-boyfriend sounds like bad news. She said, "This seems like an omen, you dropping me off at the mall right after he called." Hmm, how so? "I've been telling myself since the breakup that from now on I only want to be around people who are givers like me." Huh. Givers like me. Best. Compliment. Ever.

We exchanged emails and cell phone numbers. I hope we hang out.