A small act of kindness

During my first year of college I remember meeting someone at a party, an older guy, taller than me, frizzy-haired, something of a Deadhead, whose name escapes me. I only vaguely remember the details of that meeting - my strongest impression is still just a feeling of overwhelming anxiety and paralysis, partly because of the party itself, partly because of the enormity of being in college.

What I remember more clearly is walking to class (or maybe from class) a couple of days later, seeing thi...