Ice cream.. is gonna save the day

There is a lyric to a very silly song that I really enjoy that goes, "ice cream is gonna save the day."  and isn't that the truth?

I really wanted ice cream tonight, had a craving. Maybe more for something cold than for something sweet, as it was a hot one today. But I couldn't find anyone to join me. bummer. though timing has a funny way of working itself out. I decided to go out alone and get ice cream, be that odd falang guy by himself in the lao ice cream parlor. As I left my building there was a girl with a slight confused or troubled look on her face going near the, now closed, bank. I figured she just needed cash and called her over to tell her where the next working atm was. Turns out she need US traded for kip and didn't need a lot of kip but only had a $100 bill.  I thought it over and told her I could change for her. I have both denominations and her fees would be so high for the changing she'd need done. they would make a commotion at the changing windows and probably only change the $100 to kip and then make her change it back to get the increments she wanted. It would be more costly and troublesome, and honestly for me, it's not problem.  I invited her up to help her out and could tell she was in a frantic place for sure. She told me about the last 36 hours of bus rides and getting to a vietnamese border but being turned back because of having the wrong visa type. Of having her laos visa stamped out but never actually leaving laos and was worried she wouldn't be able to leave.  I tried to calm her down and tell her of alternate endings to this story. None were bad, just possibly costly.  I gave her some water and listened to her.  Sometimes we just need someone to listen to.  Traveling can be so wonderful and exciting, but we also have these moments of pure, "what the fuck??? what the fucking fuck?  arrgggghhh." Moments of "I hate the xxxx people. they are horrible." Moments of feeling alone and vulnerable and no idea what's going to happen next, even though we planned it all out to a T.  I'm lucky, I've been situated for a bit, but I don't forget what I've been through and how people have helped me, oh how so many people have helped me.

Then I asked her a weird question. "would you like to go somewhere and get something to make you feel better."  yes, i could have worded it a bit different, but I taught two fun yoga classes and had all this playful energy (second class was a second chakra class and my svadhisthana was acting up. she looked a bit confused and I explained that I was going to take her for ice cream if she wanted.  Ice cream is a close friend to chocolate and the world knows while dog is man's best friend, chocolate i woman's.  So we hopped on my bike and got ice cream, my treat. Sure, part may have been because she was a beautiful blonde haired girl. But really, most had to do with helping people in help out. So many people have and continue to do this for me. And after also spending part of the day reading dalai lama quotes, I felt this urge for humans to help humans out. do good for one another and all that jazz.

After ice cream I dropped her off at her guesthouse, gave her my email in case she needed anymore help and then left.  In some ways I wish I had been more mysterious. Dropping in, helping out and then vanishing. But those little details are irrelevant, what matters more to me is the deed itself.  Though in fairness lets not forget that by me helping her, she also helped me. As with her, I didn't have to go to ice cream alone. :)

So yes, ice cream did help save the day for one person.