I don't think I need to tell you how much pedestrians suffer when crossing the streets of Cairo. We've all been there...and we've all had a really hard time. But what hurts me the most is when I see an elderly person who's miserably bent over on a cane and can't get through the swarming cars due to the fact that none of them is decent enough to stop for a moment and let him or her pass. And, of course, since no one really follows traffic rules in this city, one cannot really blame them. Nevertheless, a few days ago, I was awestruck...a glimmer of hope shone down and bathed one of the busiest streets of Cairo in its splendor. An elderly woman dressed in a long black galabeya and headscarf was, like many people everyday, trying to cross the street; and of course, as is mostly the case, no one was there to lend her a helping hand...well, at least that's what I thought...
To my surprise, a young man, who was clearly somewhat disabled both mentally and physically, gently held her hand, forced the cars to stop by charmingly and clumsily signaling them to do the latter, and helped her arrive safely at the other side of the street. Can you imagine? No one, and I mean NO ONE, bothered to take a second look at this helpless woman...except someone who one would normally view as incapable...and yet, he was filled with more courage, empathy and compassion than any of the hundreds of fully competent people who roamed the streets that morning.
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