We are all alone. Or at least that’s what it feels like when you’re an entrepreneur living in London and trying to make a business work with nothing but your ideas and instincts.
At some point in our lives we all feel lonely irrespective of the city we live in, what we do for a living or how many people we have around us; yet nothing reminds us that we’re never alone more than the kindness of strangers.
Today on my way back to the office from a networking event, I was knocked from my bike thanks to a mindless taxi driver who just wasn’t paying enough attention, and pulled out from a junction without looking.
Missing 5 teeth and leaving half my face smudged on St. James Street, I am lucky to still be able to type this post – but, what I am even luckier and grateful for, is the surprising kindness shown by all the Londoners who pressed pause on their day and came to my aid.
To the builder who made sure the taxi driver didn’t leave the scene; the van driver who recorded the whole thing and stopped to give me his details; the lady who called an ambulance before I even knew what was happening; the staff at Davidoff Cigars who provided water, first aid, a warm seat and a place to safely store my damaged bike; and of course the doctor at St. Thomas’s Hospital who gave me a hug, just because – thank you. A million times THANK YOU.
Your kindness has reminded this Londoners’ cold, cynical heart that humanity does exist, and no matter how lonely we feel, we are in fact never alone.
