Buying Ice for a Stranger

Giving and Receiving and how receiving is giving and giving is receiving. And now I am dizzy and need a Dramamine.....

I "ran" to the grocery store to get "some" items.

***Saying "ran" may give you the idea that I do this in a quick and efficient manner. HA! There will be no more hunger in the world, no such thing as spiders, calories will be something you cant ever have enough of and the world will most likely implode on the day THAT happens. On that same said day, I will only get "some" items as well. So, according to *this* (me) Nostradamus and the reality of that EVER happening......breathe easy kids. The world isn't ending anytime soon....***

Back to the subject.

Grocery store...

Run in....

Some things....

Riiiight....

I'm at the check out counter. The people in front of me had 2 carts FULL of items. (If they are like me, their intention was only to get garbage bags and brussel sprouts)

I didn't mind being behind them and waiting for a while in line. This is when I actually breathe. This is when I can relax. Grace was playing with friends, Tye was at a meeting and I was in line at the grocery store...breathing.

After the couple in front of me was done, the checker started scanning my stuff.

Now, I didn't have 2 carts full of items. I didn't even have a full cart. But, i had A LOT of fresh veggies and fruit and that can take a bit of time to ring up. There was a line behind me, and the checker was only about half way through my stuff, when the people who were in front of me came back and asked "did you ring me up for the ice?"

The checker hadn't charged them for ice. He said to him "I'm sorry, I didn't. Let me finish with this line first and I can."

Now, honestly, on most days, if a checker had told me that, I would have been a bit put out. I wouldn't say anything "mean", but I may not have been all sorts of cheery.

But, this customer was fine with it and he was willing to wait.

That's when my "me" ping-ed me.

Without thinking, I said to the checker "Just ring me up for it".

The checker looks at me and says "What? you wanna pay for it?"

"Yes" I said.

The customer who needed the ice said "What? No. You don't need to do that."

"I know that I don't NEED to do it. If I felt that I NEEDED to do it, I may not want to. I WANT to do it. Get your ice and go. Get outta here. I looks like you are going somewhere fun." This instruction came from a pure, authentic and authoritative place.

So, then the checker gets all nervous and starts making these moaning sounds. Like "ohhhh....uhhhh....hmmmmm....eeeerrrrr..."

I said " Are you OK?"

He said "Oh man, I don't know if I feel comfortable about having you pay for their Ice....It feels....weird..."

"YOU feel weird about ME paying for THEIR ice....?" I asked.

"Yeah" He said.

"Well", I started "Here is the good news. Its not up to you. :) Now, ring it up so he can take it and go..."

That's when the guy that I was buying the ice for chimed in saying, " Really ma'am, you don't need to do this."

I turned to him and said "Didn't i tell you to get to gettin at what you were gettin to? Listen, I want to buy your ice. It isn't because I don't think y0u can afford it, or because you aren't patient enough to wait in this line again. I just simply want to. So, could you please take your ice with a smile, enjoy what you are going to go do and do something nice for another stranger soon?"

"Yes" he replies. "And Thank you"

I responded with "You are welcome, and thank you".

Now, the checker was still SUPER nervous. He was still ringing up my things and I said to him "why did that make you so nervous?"

This is what he says- "I don't know. People aren't just nice like that. You are just really nice."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, I said- "Not True!"

That startled him.

I said "Everyone is 'nice'. Every single person. YOU are 'nice'. Wanna know how I know? Because you recognized it in me. Everyone can be 'nice'. But, try letting others be 'nice'. THAT is the gift."

He shook his head and just said "ok" and finished ringing me up.

Try it.

For real.

Do something nice for a complete and total stranger.

You'll notice something.

You will notice that there is something familiar in the person you are doing something nice for.

Like...a reflection.

Perhaps a reflection of humanity.

You know when you are in between two mirrors facing each other? And you see your reflection on and on with no end.

Yeah, buying ice for a stranger is like that.

Alisa