Meaning of Christmas
Well, everyone knows that Christmas is about getting presents, and celebrating with family, etc...
I've been noticing a different kind of Christmas spirit recently. It's rather interesting. Random Acts of Kindness - think of the movie, Pay It Forward .
I'm intrigued to see how many more of these acts I can come upon. Anyhow, let me tell you about my encounters so far:
Lunchtime
I've been trying to conserve money and bring my lunch to work every day. This one day about a week and a half ago, I forgot my lunch, but I had some money, and could buy a lunch. I went to what we all call the Towers, and waited in line, got food, and then went to the checkout line. I went to pay, purse in hand, and could not find my wallet. I had my checkbook, but no credit cards, debit cards or cash. I frantically looked again for my wallet, wasn't there - I had left it at my desk, a good 15 minute walk away. So I ask if I could write a check, if only to cover my lunch temporarily, and the answer was no, of course. Then a gentleman two people behind me said "put hers on mine," so I figured it was someone I knew helping me out. It turned out to be someone who I not only didn't know, but would never see again. He was in town on business, and was leaving for home, in a different state. I thanked him and said "I don't know how I can repay you." To which he replied, "just do the same for someone else later." Pay it forward...
Free Coca-Cola
Sometime the next week or so I headed down to the basement of the building I work in to get a Coke from the machine. Some random janitorial staff person started talking to me cause I made a gesture at a lady's car which was blocking dorrs that weren't suppossed. When I went to put my dollar in the machine, he insisted on buying my drink. Seriously insisted. I am much like my Pop (fraternal grandfather) in that I am stubborn as a mule, when I set my mind on something, I do it (unless *I* change my mind). So I let him, and thanked him, and kinda asked why he wanted to so much, and he said, "someday you'll do the same for someone else." Granted, a coke isn't much, but it was random, and it was nice to get a free drink.
Shopping with Friends and Family
Sunday I went shopping for myself. I found some cute stuff, and I went to try it on, and I somehow scraped my hand, causing it to bleed. I asked an associate for a bandage, and I got one from her friend who was shopping there at the time. I tried on the clothing and then left the fitting room, and asked the same associate (there were only two there at the time) for help with matching other stuff to it. She helped out, and we talked about the hair - which, funny enough, her hair is the same color mine was. She had dyed her hair the same color mine last year, from her natural color (the current color) and took time getting used to it too. When I get to the register to pay, since she does the whole thing, she rang me up, and I saw the total, and it was rather high. My eyes may have actually popped out of my head at the price. I start to hand over my payment and then she said, that they were having a really cool "friends and family" sale, and that it's thirty percent off, and just gave me the discount. I just thought that was awesome. I told her that I thought it was really nice of her and that she didn't have to do that, but she said, that maybe I can do someone else a nice favor because of that.
So the theme for the 2007 Holiday Season: Pay it Forward!
I've been noticing a different kind of Christmas spirit recently. It's rather interesting. Random Acts of Kindness - think of the movie, Pay It Forward .
I'm intrigued to see how many more of these acts I can come upon. Anyhow, let me tell you about my encounters so far:
I've been trying to conserve money and bring my lunch to work every day. This one day about a week and a half ago, I forgot my lunch, but I had some money, and could buy a lunch. I went to what we all call the Towers, and waited in line, got food, and then went to the checkout line. I went to pay, purse in hand, and could not find my wallet. I had my checkbook, but no credit cards, debit cards or cash. I frantically looked again for my wallet, wasn't there - I had left it at my desk, a good 15 minute walk away. So I ask if I could write a check, if only to cover my lunch temporarily, and the answer was no, of course. Then a gentleman two people behind me said "put hers on mine," so I figured it was someone I knew helping me out. It turned out to be someone who I not only didn't know, but would never see again. He was in town on business, and was leaving for home, in a different state. I thanked him and said "I don't know how I can repay you." To which he replied, "just do the same for someone else later." Pay it forward...
Sometime the next week or so I headed down to the basement of the building I work in to get a Coke from the machine. Some random janitorial staff person started talking to me cause I made a gesture at a lady's car which was blocking dorrs that weren't suppossed. When I went to put my dollar in the machine, he insisted on buying my drink. Seriously insisted. I am much like my Pop (fraternal grandfather) in that I am stubborn as a mule, when I set my mind on something, I do it (unless *I* change my mind). So I let him, and thanked him, and kinda asked why he wanted to so much, and he said, "someday you'll do the same for someone else." Granted, a coke isn't much, but it was random, and it was nice to get a free drink.
Sunday I went shopping for myself. I found some cute stuff, and I went to try it on, and I somehow scraped my hand, causing it to bleed. I asked an associate for a bandage, and I got one from her friend who was shopping there at the time. I tried on the clothing and then left the fitting room, and asked the same associate (there were only two there at the time) for help with matching other stuff to it. She helped out, and we talked about the hair - which, funny enough, her hair is the same color mine was. She had dyed her hair the same color mine last year, from her natural color (the current color) and took time getting used to it too. When I get to the register to pay, since she does the whole thing, she rang me up, and I saw the total, and it was rather high. My eyes may have actually popped out of my head at the price. I start to hand over my payment and then she said, that they were having a really cool "friends and family" sale, and that it's thirty percent off, and just gave me the discount. I just thought that was awesome. I told her that I thought it was really nice of her and that she didn't have to do that, but she said, that maybe I can do someone else a nice favor because of that.
So the theme for the 2007 Holiday Season: Pay it Forward!