Rebecca Eckler

Sometimes the compassion of strangers makes me want to cry.

Last week, I had such a bad day I ended up pulling my car over on Avenue Road, desperately wanting to talk to a friend. I was bawling. (Since I have yet to set up my Bluetooth, I had to park to talk. Don’t want a $500 ticket!)

So, yes, there I was bawling my eyes out on the side of the road, barely able to catch my breath. It was almost laughable. “How did I end up here, pulled over on Avenue Rd., crying to you?” I sobbed to my friend.

I don’t like crying in public. Except if I’m in a theatre, and the movie is touching (like UP! Or Precious. Or The Messenger.). At least it’s dark and no one can see. I prefer to cry while showering. (It’s called multi-tasking.)

The last time I cried so publicly was in university. I had just broken up with my boyfriend. I was riding the subway and could NOT (though I tried) stop the tears.

People stared. A woman came over and offered me a tissue. I might have hugged her.

But I vowed never to cry in public again (or at least try not to!). Crying in public, or seeing someone else cry in public, is awkward to say the least.

I was once in the washroom in a bar and a girl was crying. I felt so badly for her, because I knew she was probably crying over a guy. I asked if I could do anything and handed her some toilet paper. I told her that even though I was a stranger, I was a pretty good listener. She managed to stop crying and thank me. I think she did feel better.

So, the other day, while I was crying in my car, talking on my BlackBerry, I was shocked when I heard a knock on my window. I didn’t realize a police officer had pulled up next to me. “This day keeps getting better and better,” I sobbed to my friend. “I got to go.”

I rolled down my window, pulled off my sunglasses. My eyes were red. Was this officer going to think I had been smoking pot? Was he going to see how many outdated parking tickets I have and take my car away? Had I broken the law talking on my BlackBerry, even though I was not driving?

“I saw you across the street, “ the officer told me. “Is everything okay?”

Is everything okay? Well, obviously it was not. But I am a girl, and was a pre-menstrual one at that, and didn’t feel like opening up to this man.

“It’s just been a very bad day,” I told him. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Yes, I was sure I would be okay. Sometimes a gal just needs a good cry, and, unfortunately, sometimes she cries, pulled over on the side of the road in her car.

“Just make sure you don’t drive until you’ve calmed down. Nothing can be that bad, right?” he smiled.

The officer was right. It wasn't that bad.

“Thank you for being so kind to me,” I told the officer.

I calmed down. But I cried again when I pulled into my driveway, but not over my bad day. I was crying because of the kindness of a stranger.

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