When you purchase a map and travel guide it is a good idea to actually read it. The romance and intrigue of randomly wandering the streets in a new city can actually be quite dangerous if you’re not paying attention. I am impatient person to put it mildly, and I neglected to carefully examine the details of the “Casco Viejo walking tour” suggested in my book. Thus, I found myself wandering around in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of Panama City wearing a halter top. (It was literally 105 degrees so it seemed like an appropriate wardrobe choice at the time.) “The book mentioned boutiques and restaurants,” I thought to myself as I marveled at the abandoned facades. As the streets became eerily silent and abandoned it dawned on me that I was reading the map backwards. My suspicions were confirmed when I turned around to see a man running toward me frantically waving his arms. He grabbed my arm spinning me in the opposite direction and proceeded to walk me across the street. He pointed me in the right direction, smiled, and walked back to the part town he warned me against visiting.
I have been blessed more times than I can count by acts of kindness and generosity. But, I have unfortunately come to realize that my actions do not always reflect the same generous spirit. I have lived in a large city most of my life. A place that I know so well I can tell you the zip code and cross streets if you give me an address. Running around in my daily life I often see people who are lost, confused, or obviously heading the wrong way. Then I think about the very few times I have stopped and made an effort to be a guide or a watchful eye. Being impatient and always in a hurry leaves behind so many opportunities for positive interactions and experiences. The man who literally ran to help me most likely does not even remember our brief encounter, but I think of it quite often. It is time to slow down, read the map, enjoy the journey, and take the opportunity to help others along the way.
check out more of Becky’s photography here at Becky Hill Photography
