Yesterday, I was waiting for a friend at Union Station and I stopped to get a bottle of water. As I was waiting in line, the guy in front of me was trying to pay for his sandwich with a credit card. His card kept getting declined and the cashier asked him if he had cash. He didn’t have enough. I asked him how short he was.
“Just under $2.”
I already had $2 in my hand to pay for my water, so I handed it to him so he could pay for his meal.
It was a very simple move, but it made me feel pretty good about myself. I’ve been really watching my spending, and sure, it was only $2, but I just gave it to a well dressed stranger.
(Of course, afterwards, he said “Thank you, ma’am.” He couldn’t have been that much younger than me. I’m not old enough to be ma’amed. But that’s another story.)
I’m not writing about this because I want people to be proud of my generosity. It wasn’t that generous. If I had decided to buy a sandwich for everyone in line, that would have been generous. I’m writing about it because for me, it was a reminder of how the little things do count. It’s nice to be able to help someone out, even if it is only with $2.
