Rhia’s Corner
By Rhiannon Waits
Just Because I can
I have worked on an article for a couple of weeks for this month’s column and although I am passionate about its contents, it just was not ready. Several magazines request between 700 and 800 words where others require 1800. THEREFORE, whenever I compose an article, I have to write the original and the condensed version. In spite of my passion on the topic, it just was not coming together in the manner I wanted. Frustrated as I realized my deadline was close, I closed my laptop and headed for the store with my son Micah to purchase some rice cakes (yeah – yum).
As customary, my shopping trip for one item became a sixty-dollar shopping spree as I selected organic millet noodles, green tea, eggplant and numerous other items. I believe I knew this deep within as a grabbed a cart when entering the store. I mean, who needs a cart for rice cakes – right? My son did not utter a word as we begin, although he knew there were major diet foods to purchase since I was frustrated.
As I looked over the noodles in the organic section, I commented to him how expensive it was to eat healthy. We browsed the noodles as he helped me read ingredients and watch for refined sugars, gluten and bleached process flour. I noticed a young woman doing the same as we met on several isles where the “healthy” foods were located.
As we went to the check out area, I chose the self-check out as she entered a line that had a cashier. I forgot about her as I argued with the scanner as it reluctantly scanned each item. As Micah finished bagging the items and I finished paying, we once again had the chance to see the young woman as she headed for the door at the same time as we did. Only what happened next is why I sit here typing as fast as I can to share with you this amazing yet simply story.
As we reached the door, a young man called to the young woman and was trying to hand her a receipt and a box of organic spaghetti. She was reluctant and shook her no, while telling him she did not purchase the item, she had been short of money. He still insisted she take it and she once again said “I didn’t purchase this”. The young man simply said, “I know, I did and I want you to have it. The lady blushed but not from embarrassment, but from happiness that a stranger had done such a kind thing.
My 15-year-old son waited until we were outside the door, well away from earshot, and asked if I had witnessed this. I allowed him to tell me what he saw and then told him yes I had seen it too. We both felt very good to be witnessed to such a simple and yet loving act. This act not only uplifted the spirits of the young woman, but Micah, I and I am sure the cashier as well. Little did this young man know how man people he touched with his 2.40 purchase or the beautiful Karma he gathered for himself. The beauty of it was he did not do it for praise, but because he wanted this woman to have what she intended to acquire.
As we got inside the car, I grabbed my cell phone and shared the story with a friend of mine. He said he had done such for people before and asked the woman had children. I answered that there were none with her. He asked if she was elderly, and once again, I replied no. We chatted on the subject a bit and then ended our conversation.
When I pulled into the driveway and begin to remove the groceries from the car, a neighbor stopped by to chat with me. I relayed the story to him as well. He thought it was wonderful and yet he said, “I bet she was a young and built”. I laughed and I said no, actually she was around thirty and over weight”. His second remark was “well did she have children with her?”. I told him no, that she actually was alone. We chatted about how the world needs such random selfless acts of kindness and I then went into my home.
It did not take a lot of contemplation before I flipped open my laptop, open Microsoft word, and started typing to you. My last topic will be saved for another month so we touch on this wonderful topic. It is a key to what this word needs right now in order to regain balance in our lives. It is obvious by what I have already shared with you, that even the sweet warm-hearted people found this random act of selfless kindness hard to believe. They each asked questions they thought would trigger such an act out of a young man today. Was she elderly, have children to feed or young and sexy? I suppose many find it inconceivable that a young man would purchase a 30 year old, overweight, childless woman a box of spaghetti when she ran out of money. They figure there must be a heart-wrenching situation or a ulterior motive. Who knows, maybe this lady had a bunch of money and forgot her debit and credit cards. But at this point into the story who cares, the act of kindness was AWESOME!!!
This is what our world needs today. We require positive energy and balance to get this earth and her occupants back on track. We need love, morals, a conscious and random act of kindness to chase away our storms and warm the hearts of many cold selfish entities that inhabit our planet. Maybe I sound like a Pollyanna, a do-gooder or one of those hippies from the 60’s yet I had rather sound that way than to be an individual who expects everything to be centered on me.
As the cold weather starts slipping away and the warm spring weather starts to bring the March flowers into bloom – remember to practices random, selfless acts of kindness to all around you and be prepared to receive the same. Make sure that you bloom and your heart reaches out to everyone around you. As I have stated many times before, dive to others whenever there is a camera shoved in your face or even anyone else around to witness it. True kindness and generosity shows up in the same way integrity does – you do right even when you are the only one who knows it. Isn’t this an awesome concept?
As I close on this little lesson on Love and life, I reach out to everyone and try to share a big hug. This world can become a better place one hug, one dime, one chore and one box of spaghetti at a time.
