Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia


Sunday, May 27, 2012

A Surprise for the Next Guest

     It was a hot and humid Sunday afternoon in NJ and after playing golf I decided to go to one of my favorite places, Rita's Water Ice, to get something to cool me down.  I love Rita's because the water ice is packed with flavor, not like the old snow cones I remember getting as a kid.  Anyway, I decided that Rita's would be as good a place as any for an act of kindness.
     I ordered one of my favorite flavors, Alex's Lemonade, and when the server handed me the cup and told me the price I explained that I also wanted to pay for the next person who comes along wanting a water ice.  She smiled and told me that was "so sweet."  She wanted to know if I meant just someone ordering Alex's Lemonade or any water ice and I responded that I wanted to pay for any water ice.  I told her to let the person know that it was paid for by an anonymous stranger.
     I suppose the cynical among us might wonder if the server will actually follow through with my request or will simply pocket the cash.  I always work from the assumption that people are good, fair, and honest (Fundamental #9 from my book), and I'm pretty confident she'll follow through.  Hopefully it will turn out to be one more ripple of kindness sent out into the world today, and perhaps it will even have started a larger chain reaction of kindness as well.

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