During finals week, I started to slack off on the blogging, unfortunately. (I knew this would happen eventually)! I just had so much going on....papers, finals, studying, presentations, etc. I am now back into the swing of things!! It's amazing how much this one little idea to blog has impacted my life. It may be completely psychological, but it seems like when I'm doing good things for others, more good things happen to me. Maybe it's karma, or maybe it's just that I'm noticing them more. I am beginning to see how truly amazing the world (and the people in it) are. I believe that humans have a natural instinct to help people and create happiness for others.
Last week, I had a really bad day. This was one of those days that goes in the record books. I overslept, the milk was bad, I stepped in a puddle on the way in to an extremely long shift, I had a hole in my contact lens, I forgot my deodorant, my phone died, you know...one of those days. It was right up there with Alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. After I got off work, I was on my way home and decided that I was going to treat myself. I have recently become obsessed with chocolate covered marshmallows. After Easter, they always go on sale (I'm talking 22 cents a piece!) so I stock up. I had already eaten the entire bag that I had bought a few days before, so I needed to replenish my stash. As I walked in to Rite-Aid, the cashier asked what he could help me with and directed me to the candy aisle. No surprise here...they were completely out of the delectable treats that could have single-handedly turned my day around. I was heartbroken as I started to head out of the store. The cashier (he was probably about 17 or 18) asked if I found what I was looking for and I told him about my unhealthy obsession. He smiled and walked over to the next register. He reached beneath the counter and pulled out one of the treats! I was so excited! I told him that I didn't know they kept some in the back, and he said that he bought the last of them on his break. He said that he had bought 10 of them and he had already eaten 9. He said "I didn't need that last one, anyways". And he gave me his egg. I was so surprised, I just stood there in awe. He had obviously been saving his last one and he gave it to a complete stranger. He had no idea that I had just experienced probably the worst day of my life, either. I could have been a horrible person that didn't deserve the time of day, but he didn't care. He gave me the benefit of the doubt and extended such an insanely kind gesture. If everyone could be as compassionate as this cashier, the world would be a much better place. I'm not sure why success is measured by the job someone has, or by how much money they make, or the clothes they wear. In my mind, this guy is better off than 99% of the people I know....and he probably makes minimum wage. I hope that when he went home that night, he knew that he had changed someone's life for the better, and that he is an inspiration to us all.
