I was walking downtown last week and I saw a hospital gown discarded on the side of the road. That really made me curious.

On June 5th I leave for Hong Kong. Though the flight is still a long one:  2 hours to Chicago, and then 15 hours and 30 minutes to Hong Kong, this is actually a full 8 hours shorter than the flight to Singapore.

I am excited. But this time, I am also nervous.  I will be traveling alone and I will not be meeting anyone there.  

However, no matter how nervous I am for this trip, I just can't imagine how big the butterflies are in the stomachs of those headed to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

I think I have established the fact that we have many unique individuals in our fair capital. For the record, a man about 35 years old was walking through the metro station this morning wearing sweatpants freshly soaked with his own urine. (And you are worried about me catching swine flu on the metro?!  A simple case of  H1N1 would be the best case scenario!) But these characters that dodge the social norms aren't all unique-awkward or unique-scary.

Rule Breaker #3 was an inspiration.

Standing in the center of a crowded train one night, I was squeezed aside by a girl making her way to the center of the train. She took the only available seat, asking the man who was sprawled across two seats to make room for her. He didn't look well. His head hung very long, his shoulders were slouched. I am sure this was partly why no one had asked him to move, despite the crowded car.

He moved to the window, crouching down, as he had been earlier, as if he was trying to get into an upright fetal position. A typical reaction to this atypical behavior is too remain still and look straight ahead. Most people wouldn't want to know what was up with this guy. Heck, most people wouldn't even share a seat with him.  But his new seat mate was not typical. She turned to him, tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if everything was all right. He looked up at about the same time my head swung around to make sure I'd heard her right. She repeated herself "Are you OK?" He smiled, yes yes, he's ok.

I was so taken with her.  I wanted to tell her at that very moment that she was incredible. It was the most simple act of kindness and it really moved me.