Giving without expectations

I was co-working in the social, ground floor area of my building when I noticed a man in a wheelchair going through the alley with a sweater dragging behind him. I ask my co-working friend Sascia if she can hold open the (self-locking) door open for a second while I help the guy by picking up his sweater.

As I go outside behind him, I pro-actively say aloud, "I'm coming up behind you as you have a sweater dragging behind you". As I'm saying that I'm now sort of behind and above him, to have him readjust the blanket around him. As he does this, I realize he's in a hospital gown, wearing a hospital bracelet, and was hiding a beer on his lap. As my brain is processing this unexpected situation he quickly looks up at me and yells without hesitation, "#&*#ING GO!" and points with his beer to the end of the alley.

I had no choice but to pull the sweater up as I grabbed the handles on the back of his wheelchair and with a quick glance to my friend who was holding the door, who was now in equal shock of disbelief, I pushed my new friend to the end of the alley at an abrupt pace, wondering how in the world I get myself into these unusual situations.

After finally letting him carry on -- on his own, I was left walking back wondering -- Was he really on the lamb from the hospital? Am I now an accomplice in his getaway?
As I got back to the door, Sascia was laughing so hard she was crying. Not the weirdest situation in the neighbourhood this week, maybe I'll start to blog more of them.

A good reminder that when you give, you should never have expectations, and there are surely learning lessons to be had.