My New Friend, Tyler

I woke up surrounded by strangers on a bus. A woman I didn’t know was reassuring me while others stood watching, watching with concern. I’d just regained consciousness from another tonic clonic seizure, this time aboard one of Apple’s shuttles on my way home.

Beside her sat my colleague, Bino, who already knew about my condition. I tried to explain what had happened, but the words wouldn’t come. Aphasia¹ had stolen my speech again. I stared at Bino, pleading for him to translate the panic behind my eyes. He already had. The passengers knew everything.

Eventually I managed to convince everyone that my wife would meet me at the next stop.

When I got off, I sat on the bench with a mix of anguish and gratitude. Fifteen minutes passed as I was unable to contact anyone. My brain still fogged from the seizure, I gave up and began the long walk home, not even thinking to call a ride.

That’s when something unexpected happened.

A man stepped out of his car in the parking lot. “Hey man, do you need a ride home?” he asked. I hesitated, confused. Then he added, “I just wanted to make sure you got home safely, I saw what happened on the shuttle.”

“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Tyler,” he said.

Tyler had stayed behind, watching from a distance, just to be sure I was okay.

In the moment, it’s easy to overlook some of the amazing things life can bring, no matter how small the gesture may be.

In the months that followed, Tyler kept driving me home from the bus stop, checking in every week. To this day, we still see each other. And every time, I’m reminded that when you need it most, people show up.