Caring Strangers, by Sydney Kleis

The day I arrived in Spain I got a call from my doctor back in the U.S. that my MRI results actually showed that I had a femoral stress fracture and that I needed to be on crutches for 4-6 weeks. What I had planned on being a fresh start and time filled with exploration turned on its head. After I got over the shock of my change in mobility for my first weeks in this new place, I was bound and determined to do as much as possible with my two new friends – my dear crutches. This included going to class daily and having to walk a while after I got off the bus.

One morning on the bus, it started to downpour. I couldn’t hold an umbrella and I hadn’t left the house with my raincoat on. As I was crutching through the rain, one elderly man cautioned me not to slip with my crutches in the wet street. Another man who was delivering food offered to give me a ride to where I was going, which I politely declined out of caution. Once again, an elderly man walked up next to me and started talking to me, holding his umbrella over me while we walked together until I got to my destination.

Now I share all this because I was shocked. Three people took time out of their morning to express caring concern for me. Thinking about being on crutches back in the U.S., I believe it would be rare for someone to stop and help me on the street. This story is just one example of how I noticed that Spanish culture is much more relaxed when it comes to one’s personal agenda and people more likely to help strangers. In the U.S., most people are too busy, time-bound, and “stranger-danger” is engrained in our minds at a young age. While I still believe that some people would help me wherever I am in the world, this rainy morning highlighted some fundamental differences in cultural values to me – especially concerning use of time and relationship.