I'd just finished an extra lesson with some students this afternoon and thought I'd pop down to SAC to my favourite drinks stall for a cuppa before setting off home. As the lady who runs the drinks stall saw me enter through the far door she signaled that she'd make me a drink, so I went to put my various belongings at the table at which I intended to sit before going to the stall to pick up my cup of tea. That's why I didn't realise that the stall had pretty much shut up shop for the day and the lady had been about to make her own move home prior to my arrival. It was embarrassing to suddenly realise just how much I had put her out since all the equipment needed to deliver my cuppa had to be dragged out of storage again.
I apologised profusely, but to no effect since I was aware from past experience that putting herself out like this is second nature to the lady who owns the stall. She is genuinely happy to serve her customers, appearing to believe that we somehow deserve this. I don't think for a second I do deserve such consideration, but it's nice to be on the receiving end. In fact, a brief review of the day, an unexceptional one, reminded me of the number of times the non-teaching staff had made my job do-able by providing the stuff I needed to get it done. One guy fixing some technical equipment in the classroom I'd used happily gave way to my request to let me have the room for the duration of the extra lesson without looking in the slightest bothered by me getting in his way.
It's dangerously easy to take all this help for granted. Writing this is a way of trying to ensure that doesn't happen.
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