Kind of odd
So I was in Barnes and Noble with my mom yesterday. We were both looking for a couple different books but did not find them (god I hate it that borders moved out of my town it was such a better store). As we were leaving we noticed a young woman in here 20's sobbing her eyes out. It was almost like she was queit until she noticed that we were passing by, but that might just be my cynical side talking. So my mom walks over and asks what's wrong, with out being to specific or prying to much, and talks to her for a little bit trying to reassure her that everything will be alright. Meanwhile I stand nearby and pretend to be facinated by the "super discount" books that are nearby.
The woman was crying over several things, that no one was coming for her until midnight( it was around 9), that she lost her money somewhere, that no one was there for her at home because her mom was always working, her father had died ten years earlier and now her sister was married to an ugly and stupid man she (the woman crying) hated and didn't live with her anymore.
My Mom tried to assure her by saying things like. Don't worry it'll get better, there is always a turning point. If no one is there for you at home you should get out more and make an effort to meet new people. All the standard bullshit you tell someone.
Now My mom thinks that she might of made a littler difference. That she showed that people do care for her and that she'll be alright in the long run. While personally I believe that all my mom did was waste her breath and intrude on someone elses personal life. What right do we have to tell a total stranger that everything will be alright if you really don't know anything about their life? If you don't know them who are you to give them advice especially if they don't ask for it and don't really tell you anything about themselves. My Mom replied that she just hated seeing people being miserable, I said I did too, but that woman's grief was her own and we didn't really have the right to interfere.
However afterwards something struck me. That woman wasn't attractive at all. She was overweight and quite plain. I wondered would I have acted and thought the same way if she had been attractive? Would I have still left her to her own devices or would I have asked if she wanted a coffee and to talk? Also if I did end up acting differently, would it be because I was trying to get a date or because the fact that she was attractive made me more sympathetic to her?
The woman was crying over several things, that no one was coming for her until midnight( it was around 9), that she lost her money somewhere, that no one was there for her at home because her mom was always working, her father had died ten years earlier and now her sister was married to an ugly and stupid man she (the woman crying) hated and didn't live with her anymore.
My Mom tried to assure her by saying things like. Don't worry it'll get better, there is always a turning point. If no one is there for you at home you should get out more and make an effort to meet new people. All the standard bullshit you tell someone.
Now My mom thinks that she might of made a littler difference. That she showed that people do care for her and that she'll be alright in the long run. While personally I believe that all my mom did was waste her breath and intrude on someone elses personal life. What right do we have to tell a total stranger that everything will be alright if you really don't know anything about their life? If you don't know them who are you to give them advice especially if they don't ask for it and don't really tell you anything about themselves. My Mom replied that she just hated seeing people being miserable, I said I did too, but that woman's grief was her own and we didn't really have the right to interfere.
However afterwards something struck me. That woman wasn't attractive at all. She was overweight and quite plain. I wondered would I have acted and thought the same way if she had been attractive? Would I have still left her to her own devices or would I have asked if she wanted a coffee and to talk? Also if I did end up acting differently, would it be because I was trying to get a date or because the fact that she was attractive made me more sympathetic to her?