"What goes around comes around..."
The Golden Rule..."do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
Maybe my mother's voice in my head?
After work I noticed the "need fuel" light was on in my car. (I'm sure there is some techincal automotive name for that what's-it but let's just go with that.) YIKES, gas is up to $2.45 a gallon. That makes me chuckle because not all that long ago paying $2.45 would have seemed cheap.
I am fueling my car up, trying not to drip gas on my dress or my cute little sandals when a guy walks up to me. He looked hot, tired, and humble.
"Ma'am, could you help me out? I ran out of gas, pushed my car in here and I have no money to buy gas. blah blah blah blah blah."..I tuned him out.
I waved my credit card at him and said "Sorry, this is all I have."
I saw him approach a few other people, my guess is he received a similar response. People just don't carry cash in Texas.
I watched him as he stood next to his car. It was clear he was weighing his options, more than likely he was flat out screwed unless he could get someone to help him.
I started feeling bad...really bad for the way that I brushed him off. My mother didn't raise me to be that kind of person, and I sure as heck didn't raise my kids to be that way either. Shit happens to us all, even more so in these tough econimic times. It was clear to me that the guy was a worker, he wasn't sitting outside of the gas station or along an exit ramp with a sign and a hand out. I know that I've run out of gas more than once in my life. Would it kill me to part with a little cash?
So, I got in my car, fished through my wallet thinking that I had a $5 bill and some $1's in there, I might be able to scrape together some cash. I found a $10 bill that I forgot that I had, and walked over to the guy.
"You're kidding me...right?"
The look of shock and then gratitude on his face as I handed him the $10 bill was worth much more than that $10 was worth to me.
He couldn't thank me enough. I saw him start to think about hugging me, then looked down at the way he was dressed---clearly in dirty work clothes. I on the other hand had on a summer dress, mostly white.
I said, "Wait, let me give you a hug. This might not be enough to get you where you need to go--Euless, but it might get you a little closer."
He made a beeline in to pre-pay his gas. I have no clue what his story was, but I do know, ok I hope, that he tells a few people that there are still good people in this world, willing to help out someone in trouble. (You can call me PollyAnna for believing that people are basically good. It wouldn't be the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last.)
Even if it takes a second thought to make it happen.
You know, I am sure my mom is smiling down at me right now..I hope I never get so jaded that I would be that kind of person. Today was a lesson to me, made me ponder, made me think, made me thankful that I had that $10 to give.
The Golden Rule..."do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
Maybe my mother's voice in my head?
After work I noticed the "need fuel" light was on in my car. (I'm sure there is some techincal automotive name for that what's-it but let's just go with that.) YIKES, gas is up to $2.45 a gallon. That makes me chuckle because not all that long ago paying $2.45 would have seemed cheap.
I am fueling my car up, trying not to drip gas on my dress or my cute little sandals when a guy walks up to me. He looked hot, tired, and humble.
"Ma'am, could you help me out? I ran out of gas, pushed my car in here and I have no money to buy gas. blah blah blah blah blah."..I tuned him out.
I waved my credit card at him and said "Sorry, this is all I have."
I saw him approach a few other people, my guess is he received a similar response. People just don't carry cash in Texas.
I watched him as he stood next to his car. It was clear he was weighing his options, more than likely he was flat out screwed unless he could get someone to help him.
I started feeling bad...really bad for the way that I brushed him off. My mother didn't raise me to be that kind of person, and I sure as heck didn't raise my kids to be that way either. Shit happens to us all, even more so in these tough econimic times. It was clear to me that the guy was a worker, he wasn't sitting outside of the gas station or along an exit ramp with a sign and a hand out. I know that I've run out of gas more than once in my life. Would it kill me to part with a little cash?
So, I got in my car, fished through my wallet thinking that I had a $5 bill and some $1's in there, I might be able to scrape together some cash. I found a $10 bill that I forgot that I had, and walked over to the guy.
"You're kidding me...right?"
The look of shock and then gratitude on his face as I handed him the $10 bill was worth much more than that $10 was worth to me.
He couldn't thank me enough. I saw him start to think about hugging me, then looked down at the way he was dressed---clearly in dirty work clothes. I on the other hand had on a summer dress, mostly white.
I said, "Wait, let me give you a hug. This might not be enough to get you where you need to go--Euless, but it might get you a little closer."
He made a beeline in to pre-pay his gas. I have no clue what his story was, but I do know, ok I hope, that he tells a few people that there are still good people in this world, willing to help out someone in trouble. (You can call me PollyAnna for believing that people are basically good. It wouldn't be the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last.)
Even if it takes a second thought to make it happen.
You know, I am sure my mom is smiling down at me right now..I hope I never get so jaded that I would be that kind of person. Today was a lesson to me, made me ponder, made me think, made me thankful that I had that $10 to give.
You are a good person - and if you are a Pollyanna - then I am too!!!
Posted by: Sara | June 09, 2009 at 06:05 PM
Bravo !!!! Knowing that there still are good people out there makes my heart soar.
Posted by: Terry AKA Lobster | June 10, 2009 at 04:49 PM