Make Someone’s Day

April 18, 2019

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to transform an ordinary encounter to something extraordinary. Four years ago when I switched hearing aid providers due to the retirement of my previous audiologist, Jamie was assistant to my choice of a new audiologist, who in turn retired last year. She took over the business with a passion for service that kept me coming back even when I could have gone elsewhere.

One day a couple years ago, I had ridden my Ural in to the appointment. She happened to see it and was eager to go for a ride. Circumstances prevented it, but today was exceptionally warm for the season, so I drove it to her Westfield office and parked out front. When I walked in, the receptionist rose from her desk and looked out the window. “That’s different,” she exclaimed.

“Tell Jamie that today is her day, if she finishes early.” 

“I heard that!” drifted from the back room. We made the necessary adjustments, Jamie looked at her daybook and said, “I have a half hour before my next appointment. Let me change into my gym shoes.”

I donned my leathers and walked outside to the curb, removed the tonneau and pulled my extra helmet from the tub. Jamie appeared in a jacket, put on the helmet and climbed in, grinning from ear to ear. I took one of the main routes out of town till we came to a crossroad that took us on a delightful ride winding through woods and vineyards, past stately houses and farms, and back into town. “I could do this all day,” she said at one intersection. 

When we got back to her office, as she climbed out of the tub, she said it reminded her of when she was a kid and her father would take her on rides on his motorcycle. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply...”

“Don’t worry; I’m probably older than your dad.” 

“I can’t wait to tell my husband that I rode in a sidecar.” She was almost giddy with delight. I wasn’t surprised by her thank you, but the hug she gave me caught me completely unaware. Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry is famous for his line, “Go ahead...make my day.” Making someone’s day doesn’t have to be a threat, and it doesn’t always require a great deal of effort. Just listening and doing what you can might make all the difference. Jamie’s life won’t be demonstrably better for having ridden in my sidecar, but it’s a day she’ll remember, and that’s good enough for me.