Afternoon Encounters with the Locals

I'm not sure that I will have any specific topic today. One thing has been on my mind a lot though.
Before I get to it though, I should preface it with the fact that I live in a small town in Japan where the number of non-Asians is probably less than 10.
It's not hard to imagine then, that I really stick out(I'm about as pale as you can get).
Today, I had a few things happen on my way home from work. One of my elementary students and her mother spotted me as I was walking home. The mother got very excited and got the attention of her daughter. They stopped me just so they could say "hello" and practice their English. It made me feel welcome in their neighborhood, as well as in their schools. It's fun when the students like you, but it means a lot when the parents show interest or appreciation in your work.
Anyway, I'm sure that I had a big smile on my face as I continued towards my apartment. I was walking in the area of our train station. It's Friday, it was before 5:00 pm, so it was busy. I was walking past a tiny, elderly woman. Suddenly, she looked up at me, got angry, and stomped her foot at me. I was very shocked by this. If I hadn't been so shocked, I probably would have laughed (or growled as another friend suggested).
Not more than 2 minutes later, I was crossing at the crosswalk. A mother with three small children were coming towards me. She was speaking to her children. I understood enough to know that she told them that foreigners who lived in town were usually English teachers, but they (her children) should still be careful. I smiled and nodded my head in agreement as I passed them. The mother looked shocked at first, and then smiled and bowed like she was apologizing.
The next thing that happened, was at the grocery store. Mind you, I usually see several of my students at the store. On rare occurrences, little, old ladies follow me to see what I put into my basket (what does the gaijin eat?). Mostly, I get stared at. Well, I was standing in line at the check-out and I decided to find my club card while I was waiting. I didn't realize that I had forgotten to zip the coin purse back up when I went to the post office earlier and my coins started to fall out. I thought that I had caught them all. Suddenly, someone gently taps me on the shoulder (I thought it was a student), bends down, picks up my 100 yen coin (about 1 dollar), and hands it to me. I was completely shocked! Strangely, I was moved by this gesture. Here, I had already encountered a woman who obviously had no problems showing her hatred toward me, and then I had a woman who wanted to make sure that I didn't lose my money.
I got to thinking about this woman at the grocery store. I didn't notice that I had dropped my money. She wasn't even in line behind me. Was she watching me? Did she just happen to walk past as it fell? Could she tell that I was a little bit down and feeling completely out of place?
Has she ever lived abroad and experienced anything like what she might have imagined me to be going through? Was she simply trying to do something nice? Whatever the answer, I am very grateful to her.
I think that I have experienced all the possible scenarios of interacting with the locals today. It has been a very interesting day, to say the least.
I am extremely thankful for the school mother I encountered on the way home and for the woman in the grocery store.
In a way, I am also glad that I encountered the young mother with her small children. Being so far away from home in a "safe" land that doesn't speak my native language, I often feel like I am in a bubble. I need to be reminded from time to time that I am not always safe and that I shouldn't take my safety for granted. I know that the mother referring to her children's safety and not to mine, but it put things into perspective for me.
And finally, there is the woman who stomped at me like she was trying to get rid of a big dog or something. I would like to think that the reason that she did this, is because she is mentally ill. In all honesty though, it was probably out of hatred and/or fear. She probably has had experiences that, to her, justify her feelings. I honestly can't imagine how people can live with such hatred.
Imagine how the hate and bitterness would eat away at your life. It must make for a miserable existence.
I truly hope that no matter what happens, I can focus on the kindness of strangers and forget about the open hostility of others. If I let it get to me, I might become bitter and hateful too. That's not a very constructive use of time or energy. I hope that I can learn something from all of this and then let it go.