Or better yet, Who's the Difference?

“I dunno, I’ll be around campus and when I see you…I just smile or laugh. You’re like the only one.” He said.

Pictured here sitting alone, he was watching a rugby game. Often accused of being a poser with his poofed hair or tight fitting shirt, he almost seemed to accept his low standing in the order of things. He wasn’t very good in school, and simply brushed off work as “bull” when he didn’t understand. The guys down the hall called him a tool to his face and worse behind his back. And maybe he was a bit tool-ish, with his cocky attitude and dumb humor, but for some reason, I saw past that. I saw the young, funny guy who was always underappreciated. I saw him on parent’s weekend, his mother and sister were walking with him. His father wasn’t there, I noticed. They were complaining and arguing with him over his low grades.

I had about a one minute heart to heart with him. And I was glad to find I had made a difference to him. He’ll never know it, but he taught me a lot.

Delayed Train

Sooo today, I was running around like a crazy person (which I do frequently) when I took a second and remembered the advice of a guy on a train that changed, essentially, my life.

Last year, at the start of spring break, I went to go visit Carnegie Mellon. I had planned my way back so that it was a flight from pittsburgh to philadelphia and then a second flight from philly to westchester county airport. My flight out of pittsburgh was easy. The next thing I knew I was in philly. When I got there though, a snowstorm was brewing. Of course, my flight was delayed, as like half the flights going out of philly usually are. I’m really fed up at this point, but decided to wait things out. Half an hour goes by (the amount of time it was supposed to be delayed) and I mutter What the hell, this is bull? Fuck! I pull up amtrak on my phone, figuring I could catch that and just deal with the extra cost. I really wanted to get out of that airport. So I catch SEPTA to the 30th St Station and buy my ticket. I get on my train, finally.

Later, someone sits next to me. A while after the train leaves, when everything is going seemingly smoothly, the conductor comes on the speaker and says that we’re going to have to turn the train around, and then drive slower because of the weather. I couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out, “Goddamnit!” The guy sitting next to me turns to me. He said, “Are you ok? Is a family member dying?” I replied “…no.”

He looks and me and simply replies, “Then why get all worked up over something as stupid as a delayed train? You being worked up isnt going to fix anything. Just relax and don’t worry about it.”

So today, I was in a van, and in a hurry to get somewhere. The driver was casually driving, enjoying the view, stepping on the gas pedal with ease and leisure.

Then I remembered the guy on the train and simply thought Why do I care?

We drove on.

-Matt B. (NY)

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

“So, why am I starting this website?

I realized that everyday we meet people who make a difference, in big or small ways.

And I realized, why should we let those experiences pass?

Why not take a second…

and talk about what the difference is, or better yet, who the difference is.”

“ Sometimes, all you have to do is ask nicely. That’s what my Mom always told me. You know, you’re a nice person. I like you.

— Street vendor on 68th and Lex. after I bargaind the price of a yankee cap down from $15 to $10