Water for the Tired

     On Sunday morning, I'm running the Rock 'N Roll 1/2 marathon in Philadelphia.  With thousands of people running, all participants were required to pick up their number and race packet either today or tomorrow, so I went in to take care of that this afternoon.  I was able to park a few blocks away from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and walked over to the race headquarters. On my way, I noticed an old, impoverished looking man leaning against a building, staring somewhat aimlessly out into the world.  To call him a beggar would be incorrect, since he didn't appear to even have the energy to beg.  He was just sitting/standing there and I had the sense he could easily have been there all day.

     When I left the Runners' Expo roughly 45 minutes later and started to walk toward where I had parked my car, I noticed that the man was still there, in the same spot, looking just as tired and aimless.  I checked my wallet to see if I had any McDonald's or other gift cards with me, but I only had a Starbucks one.  Somehow, I didn't see him meandering his way into a Starbucks to order a latte.  He had such a vacant look to him that I honestly wasn't sure I'd be able to explain to him what a gift card was for, and so I continued on.

     I had only gone another 1/2 block or so when I realized what I could easily do for him.  I went across the street to a Wawa and bought a bottle of cold water.  Then I went back to where he was standing and gave it to him.  He looked at me and gave me a nod and said "thanks."  I simply told him to enjoy it and continued on to my car.

     As I headed home to Moorestown I was thinking about how much I enjoy the quiet, anonymous acts of kindness like these.  He doesn't know who I am and almost certainly never will.  He probably won't even tell anybody about it.  There was no fanfare and it didn't change the world - except for maybe his world. Who knows what impact a small, simple act of kindness might have on him?

Follow-up note:  The other day I wrote about going to Rita's and paying for a water ice for the next customer.  I stopped in this afternoon for another water ice and the same guy, Hunter, happened to be working, so I asked him what happened.  He said that he waited for just the right person and it ended up to be a guy who was a parole officer.  He was touched, but said it wouldn't be easy for him to be nice to someone else because he spent most of his day putting people in jail!  Hopefully he was able to find a way to pay it forward.

     

Don't Forget the Pay It Forward

     Today was about as spectacular a day as one could possibly hope for - perfect temperatures, blue sky, slight breeze.  Awesome.  I was on my way home from some errands early this evening and I figured I needed a Rita's Water Ice.  If you've never tried Rita's, you should.  Great stuff.  Anyway, as I pulled into the parking lot, I decided that Rita's would be the scene for today's act of kindness.

     I was the only customer there at the time.  I ordered a large cup of raspberry lemonade water ice (I highly recommend that one) and was served by a smiling young man who wore a badge announcing that his name was Hunter.  When Hunter handed me my water ice, I told him that I needed some help.  I explained that I wanted him to charge me for a second water ice, and that I wanted him to choose a customer tonight to receive a free one courtesy of a stranger.  He smiled excitedly, anticipating the fun he'd have doing that.  "Anyone?", he asked.  "Yes," I said.  "Pick anyone you want and just let them know it was paid for by a stranger."  He assured me that he'd pick someone good.

     I walked back to my car, satisfied that Hunter was going to have some fun with this one; but as I sat there for a moment enjoying my water ice, it occurred to me that I had once again missed out on a potential "pay it forward" opportunity.  So I got out of the car and went back to talk to Hunter again.  I told him that there was one other thing we need to do.  "When you pick the person and give them their free water ice," I explained, "ask them in return to do something nice for someone else."  Hunter seemed to love that idea and he confirmed that he could definitely do that.

     It's such a small extra step, but what a difference it can make.  It's certainly possible that a recipient of an act of kindness might, on their own, choose to pay it forward.  But specifically asking them to do so must surely increase the likelihood manyfold.  And just imagine that they ask the same of the next person and so on and so on.  Of course, that's the whole idea of the "pay it forward" concept.  It's one of the simplest, yet most powerful ideas I've ever heard for spreading kindness in the world.  

     I want to be better about remembering to include this component as often as is reasonably appropriate.  I'm glad that when I thought of it tonight, I got back out of my car and acted upon it, rather than simply figuring I'll do it next time.  

     

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.