This was not something I was happy to see in my mailbox: get uncomfortable. I find that enough happens in my day that is uncomfortable, why would I want to deliberately seek it out?
Of course, that’s the introvert in me talking.
I briefly wondered if this blogging thing might qualify as getting uncomfortable because I’ll be honest, it is uncomfortable. Putting out my thoughts for others to read and pick apart…I mean, appreciate. (I’m not even courageous enough to post my entries right away…I just save them up in a doc file until I feel ready…I haven’t felt ready yet, funny thing that). But all this cogitating was really just an excuse to avoid the task at hand.
My husband, Jake, and I had to head out to get some groceries at an organic place we know about near Markham. We decided to stop at Starbucks to get a coffee for the drive. While in the drive thru line it came to me, “Let’s pay for order of the people behind us.” I’ve never done such a thing before and funny as it sounds I was nervous, uncomfortable, you could say. I usually abide by that unspoken rule that you leave people alone. I guess I just assumed people preferred it that way. Paying for someone’s coffee wasn’t super intrusive, but it wasn’t leaving them alone either.
We told the barista that we’d like to look after paying for the car behind us.
“No problem,” she said, as if it happened all the time. Does it happen all the time?
On our way to Markham the snow started to really come down and we saw a car along the side of the road. We drove past, and then I thought that maybe they needed help. So we turned the car around. Again, I was nervous. Likely they were okay…I really didn’t need to bother them…it’s easier (for them? for me?) to just keep driving.
But we pulled up on the side of the road just behind the stopped car.
It was a young couple and they were having car trouble.
We asked if we could help and the man smiled. He said that a tow truck was already on the way but thanked us for stopping. “You’re sure you don’t need anything?” Jake asked. Again the young man thanked us but said they were okay.
The exchange was brief. Perhaps it made a difference, I don’t know. Actually, I do. It made a difference for me. And maybe that’s a good place to start.
Week of Sundays 
February 24th, 2013 at 8:51 pm
Linda and I went to a movie recently, all eager to use two passes she got from a friend. At the theatre we were running late and could not locate the passes. So we paid. On the way out we located them, then gave them to a young couple coming in. The were dumbfounded. The took them somewhat graciously and confused. Felt good to pass on a good gesture from one to another.