Yesterday morning at the MacDonald's on Rte. 347 in Stony Brook a random act of kindness occurred.
While I was giving my order to the drive-in's metal box a small gray car swooped around me and pulled up to the paying window.
When I got to that window and was about to hand over my $3.26 to the lady she said, "There's no charge. The lady in front of you paid for you."
WHAAAAAT?!
Amazed, I asked her to repeat that.
"The lady ahead of you paid for you," she said. "Do you know her?"
"No," I said. And she didn't know me either,
as she'd just swooped in out of the blue
to pay for the breakfast of a stranger.
Remembering a recent TV report about a place in the midwest where this kind of thing has turned into a months-long chain, I said, "Then I'll pay for the person behind me" (Uh-oh, I just heard his bill, nine something). But she said, "No, you can't do that."
So I drove off and was so wrapped in amazement that I forgot to pick up my egg thingies at the next window and had to back up a long way for them. Guess I had some idea of chasing the gray car. (Who was that masked man?)
World take note! This sort of thing could subvert our whole system of material goods and human values. And what a high one must get being the giver!
Thank you, stranger!!
7 comments:
Hey thats a neat story!
I'm a firm believer in the "pass it forward" approach to life. Throw good karma out there in the world and someday it will flow back your way :)
I had a funny encounter the other day. I pulled into a parking lot & noticed a very elderly woman sitting with her door open and her seat pushed up against the steering wheel. She had such a plaintive look on her face I had to walk over and ask her if she was ok.
She had somehow shifted her seat forward with her in it, and didn't have the strength to push it back. I ended up on my knees awkwardly reaching through her legs to reach the release lever, lol. I finally got the seat back for her, and with a smile and thanks she was off.
I watched her try to negotiate turning around in the parking lot, and did wonder if she should be driving, but at least I saved her from being trapped in her seat :)
Good for you, Cheryl! She was lucky you came along. One wonders whether she should be driving at all, but what a wrench it must be to have to give up driving. I shudder to think of it. You hear about elderly people driving onto the sidewalk and killing people or off a dock and killing themselves, so there's the safety of the public to think about, too.
The experience really touched and saddened me, I thought about how helpless and vulnerable she was, and couldn't help but think what if a not so nice person had come upon her.
Proof indeed that "growing old is not for sissies". It scares me to contemplate a point in my life that I would be so vulnerable and dependent upon others.
Yes - growing old, more vunerable and more frail is a major thing to consider .... especially when you live by yourself .... I'll have to move to town if I ever have to give up my driver's priviledges.
Good on you Cheryl for helping her out!!!
And congrats, Priscilla for being the recipient of "pay-chain" - what a delight!! I'm glad that the money collector had enough common sense to not let you pay for that big order!
Welcome back, Biddie!
Eye-fully glad your comments can be seen again.
I hope I'll be living within tricycle-distance of the grocery store when I give up driving cars.
Hi Mom, good to hear from you, good to see you posting again.
Post a Comment