December 17, 2007

  • Last night I came into Newmarket for the Crew Christmas party. I managed to avoid most of the snowstorm and didn't get in any trouble driving. I also made several stops along the way and completed the Christmas shopping for Mom. Tomorrow's task is Christmas shopping for Ellen and Brian and attempting to not spend any more money on Gilly, on whom I have spent thrice what I originally budgeted.

    Tonight I took the bus downtown to go to a new Meetup group about documentaries. We went to a sports bar and saw a film about the life of Jesus, projected on the screen normally used for showing hockey games. Before the film started we got into discussing alternative medicine, and one woman said her shoulder and neck are constantly painful and nthing has been able to really help her. I offered to give it a try, and she accepted, not sure what to expect. I rested my arms on her shoulders and let the weight drag them down for a couple of minutes, and she was amazed by the relaxation brought on by that simple action. I then gave her a brief massage, and she said she felt 1000% better afterward. The guy sitting beside her, Kevin, piped up "I'll be next!" I told him he'd have to buy me dinner first, and he offered to buy my next drink I accepted, the movie started when I finished the first massage so I had to stop.

    The film was good, although not a patch on "Jesus: The Complete Story". At the end we had a discussion about our views of Christ, and they found it really funny when I compared him to a hippie. Somebody mentioned that certain people are God-like in their ability to reach and inspire the masses, and I said it's not so important to reach the masses as it is to be altruistic in your daily life. I asked if I miraculously healed the woman I'd massaged, and they laughed and said I did. As we concluded the discussion the girl beside me asked for a massage for her stiff neck, so I obliged. She collapsed in my hands shortly after I began, then jumped up and gave me a huge hug and told me how awesome I am. Meanwhile, Kevin saw me giving her the massage and asked what happened to the deal he made with me. When I finished with the girl, I turned around and placed a chair behind Kevin, who was chatting with someone else. He stepped aside, not understanding that I wanted him to sit. After several tries I actually TOLD him to sit, and he excitedly tore off his jacket. Meanwhile, the rest of the group left the bar, and I joked about turning the place into a massage parlour.

    He enjoyed his massage and offered me whatever I wanted, so I asked for one in return. I normally don't do that as most people give crappy massages and don't take instruction well, but to my delight he did a decent job and listened to my suggestions. I gave him a big hug and we left together. He indicated he would like to see me again, and I told him to e-mail me from the web site and we'd see if we could get together sometime while I'm here. Huzzah! Another man smitten by my super powers!

    I took the subway and bus home, and back in Newmarket I stepped out into the harsh wind at the locked, deserted bus station. The girl that had been seated across from me on the bus pulled out her cell phone to call a cab, and I offered her a ride as I didn't want her to freeze. She appily hung up on the dispatcher and hopped into the van. We had a pleasant chat as a I took her home, halfway across town in the opposite direction to my own destination, but I felt good for having helped another stranger. All in all it has been a really great evening.

    Does it still count as altruism if I derive this much pleasure from performing random acts of kindness?