Kindness In Cars Having Iced Tea - How $5.25 Became $100
By Judy Neiman
A few days ago, after a medical appointment in Flagstaff, I drove through a fast food, drive-up restaurant for iced tea. At the window, I asked the clerk how much the next customer's bill was.
“It’s 5.25,” she said.
I handed her a ten-dollar-bill, with my business card, and told her to pay that bill with mine and to keep the change.
My son was in the passenger seat. “Mom, the next customer is a young guy in a Mercedes,” he said, with an embarrassed look.
“I don’t care. I never look to see who is behind me when I pay their bill. One, I don’t want them to think I’m a goody-two shoes, seeking attention, and two, I want to be anonymous.”
Driving back to Sedona, I shared with my son, how you never know what impact you have on someone you give simple kindness. You’ll probably never know.
“But mom, he probably thinks you’re weird. He definitely didn’t need help.”
I squirmed in my seat a bit but stuck to my belief. ‘There’s never a wrong time to be kind’.
The next day, while driving to a SedonaKind meeting, my cell rang.
“Hi, is this Judy?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I’m Wendy, the clerk at the fast food window you were at yesterday.”
“Hi, how are you?
“I’m fine, but I wanted to share with you, what you started yesterday when you paid the next customers bill. It was wonderful.”
“Tell me, please.”
“Well, this good looking young guy drives up, and I hand him his food. He offers me money, but I say, ‘The lady in front of you paid your bill.’”
“Why’d she do that?” he asked in disbelief and looked annoyed.
“I don’t know, she just did.”
He sat there for a few seconds, reached into his billfold and handed me a $100 bill.
“Here, I’ll pay for the next few customers.”
“Wow, what happened next was exciting and a privilege to tell each of the next five customers, ‘Your bill has already been paid.’ One woman, with three children in her car, cried. Another said, Praise God. A car full of teenagers, counting out their change to pay their ticket, were beyond happy, but insisted I take their change to pay for the next customer’s bill.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said.
“My manager and I wanted you to know and thank you for starting this great stream of Kindness.”
So, everyone, I challenge you to turn ‘5.25 into 100,’ or maybe turn one smile, into a hundred more. Start a stream of Kindness. I double dare you.
“It’s 5.25,” she said.
I handed her a ten-dollar-bill, with my business card, and told her to pay that bill with mine and to keep the change.
My son was in the passenger seat. “Mom, the next customer is a young guy in a Mercedes,” he said, with an embarrassed look.
“I don’t care. I never look to see who is behind me when I pay their bill. One, I don’t want them to think I’m a goody-two shoes, seeking attention, and two, I want to be anonymous.”
Driving back to Sedona, I shared with my son, how you never know what impact you have on someone you give simple kindness. You’ll probably never know.
“But mom, he probably thinks you’re weird. He definitely didn’t need help.”
I squirmed in my seat a bit but stuck to my belief. ‘There’s never a wrong time to be kind’.
The next day, while driving to a SedonaKind meeting, my cell rang.
“Hi, is this Judy?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I’m Wendy, the clerk at the fast food window you were at yesterday.”
“Hi, how are you?
“I’m fine, but I wanted to share with you, what you started yesterday when you paid the next customers bill. It was wonderful.”
“Tell me, please.”
“Well, this good looking young guy drives up, and I hand him his food. He offers me money, but I say, ‘The lady in front of you paid your bill.’”
“Why’d she do that?” he asked in disbelief and looked annoyed.
“I don’t know, she just did.”
He sat there for a few seconds, reached into his billfold and handed me a $100 bill.
“Here, I’ll pay for the next few customers.”
“Wow, what happened next was exciting and a privilege to tell each of the next five customers, ‘Your bill has already been paid.’ One woman, with three children in her car, cried. Another said, Praise God. A car full of teenagers, counting out their change to pay their ticket, were beyond happy, but insisted I take their change to pay for the next customer’s bill.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said.
“My manager and I wanted you to know and thank you for starting this great stream of Kindness.”
So, everyone, I challenge you to turn ‘5.25 into 100,’ or maybe turn one smile, into a hundred more. Start a stream of Kindness. I double dare you.