The One Thing I Remember from My 2002 Trip to Ireland
Twenty years ago I flew to Dublin for a two-week trip.
My boyfriend was part of a summer law school program at Trinity College, and we had planned a trip to travel around Ireland after it finished.
We had dated for nearly four years, and everyone thought I’d come home with a ring on my finger.
Imagine their surprise when I came home two weeks later –
Single.
It was not the trip I envisioned – for so many reasons – but one good thing did come out of it.
During one of my sad walks alone in the streets of Dublin, I stumbled upon a ‘Talk Shop’ – a place where you paid to make phone calls and use the internet.
Yes, such a thing existed.
I think I spent 2 hours there, racking up calls to my parents, my sister, and my closest friends back home. The international trip I had been looking forward to for months had become a complete disaster – and the plan I had for my life at that point was scrapped, too.
As I went up to pay the bill, the man at the counter looked at my call list and his eyes widened.
“Someone’s missing home!” he exclaimed.
I nodded and then said, “My boyfriend and I just broke up.”
He looked at me sympathetically.
“Do you have any friends in Ireland?” he asked.
“No, I have no friends here. I know no one,” I told him.
He took a piece of paper and scribbled something quickly, then handed it to me. The paper said ‘Neil’ and had a phone number.
“Now you have a friend in Ireland,” he said warmly.
The next day I called Neil and we ended up spending the day together exploring the Irish countryside.
It was exactly what I needed that day – a friend.
Neil showed my kindness at a time when I desperately needed it.
(NB: Whenever I tell this story, people expect there must be romance involved. Sorry to disappoint, but despite having the makings for a Hallmark movie, this isn’t that kind of story. It’s a G-rated story of kindness and friendship.)
I first wrote my story about Neil in 2019, and after sharing it, decided to see if I could find him.
We reconnected on LinkedIn, and earlier this summer, I got the chance to return to Dublin.
I was there for a short work trip, but the day I flew back to London, I called Neil.
Though we hadn’t spoken in nearly 20 years, we picked right up, the way old friends do. We spent over an hour chatting and catching up on the last 20 years of our lives.
And when I thanked him again for what he did in 2002, and told him how much his kindness meant to me, he brushed it off.
He doesn’t see it as a good deed or a big deal — just “life.”
Maybe he’s right.
But it meant a lot to me.
And I believe the world would be a better place if we all were a bit more like Neil.
You don’t have to rescue a tourist to make an impact.
There will be people in your life – friends, family members, work colleagues – who would appreciate your kindness.
All it takes is a note or a phone call. Even an encouraging word.
So today I want to encourage you to take 5 minutes to write a nice email.
Or take 15 minutes and call a friend.
Write a letter to someone you care about and tell them what they mean to you.
And look for opportunities to spread a bit of kindness in your day.
Smile and engage with the people you encounter. The people working at the coffee shop or the supermarket, the bus driver, or the person delivering your mail.
Kindness might be more contagious than Covid.
And kindness is the kind of thing we want to catch – and spread.
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Beth Collier loves writing, pop culture, and people who are kind.
She also loves helping companies, leaders, and teams improve their communication (and creativity and leadership) through consulting, coaching, and workshops.
Her clients benefit from Beth’s global corporate experience, Midwestern practicality and enthusiasm – and an endless supply of pop culture references.
To find out how Beth can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader – or improve communication in your company – visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com