An Account of Surprising Kindness: The Time a University Student Allowed Me to Sleep on Her Dorm Floor
During the year 2006, I traveled to Canberra for a medical school interview. I assumed I would book a place to stay upon arrival, but upon reaching the city, a big convention was happening and every single youth hostels and budget accommodation had no vacancies.
As a visitor from Singapore, I thought the possibility of spend the night at the airport – only to discover that airport, not like the one back home, closes all night. With no idea what my next move should be and growing worried, I caught public transport and started wandering towards a gaming venue, thinking I might spend the evening in an establishment operating through the night. Admittedly, this plan at my peak for acing an interview the following day, but as a cash-strapped student, a pricey hotel was out of reach.
Our society requires more folks like that woman.
Apparently, I appeared confused because a young woman spotted me walking aimlessly through the city and asked whether I needed help. I explained the story of my accommodation crisis and immediately she said I was welcome to sleep on the floor at her university residence at the local university – a perfect solution, considering that was where the important interview was scheduled for the next day. She even offered a meal: one of the filled rolls she had from her evening job. I had access to warm shower facilities and a protected spot and safe for the evening.
With hindsight, it’s clear to me the enormous leap of faith she accepted being a woman inviting a guy she had only just encountered sleep on her floor. At that time I existed within a bubble of male privilege and did not consider to such safety concerns. Now, as a father, it astounds me she took that chance – yet very grateful.
I never did go to the Australian National University, and I lost touch with the student afterwards, but her act remains etched in my mind that incredible gesture of human compassion. I hope the universe has rewarded her generosity tenfold. Our society requires more individuals with such compassion.
