7-11 Is A Microcosm For The World
Standing in line at the local convenience store, I was second in line to a man that was quite obviously down on his luck. He had a public intox ticket in one hand, a liter of gatorade in the other, and was trying to buy four packs of cigarettes, to no avail. As the line behind us steadily grew, he and the clerk drove each other nuts trying to understand what the other was saying, and due to the fact that the poor man didn't seem to be able to count his money very effectively or understand that 4 packs of smokes and a drink cost roughly $18. All in all, really, only 5 minutes passed by. But, the people behind me grew frustrated, with one guy storming out and another yelling, "Hey, buddy - we're all in a hurry here. Get moving."I've been kicking myself in the head for the rest of the afternoon. Not only did I not offer to pay for his purchases (and hopefully save him some dough he could have used on food), but I didn't stand up for him when the dickhead with his arms full of Dr. Pepper and beef jerky started yelling. The situation was a little sad until that point, and it grew monstrously uncomfortable after Mr. Impatient opened his yap. The only thing I did was tell him (and the clerk) to take his time, to which I heard a massive collective sigh from the line.
Really, have we become so rushed and self-important that we can't allow someone that's down on their luck a little courtesy? Yes, he may have been tipsy, may have needed a shower, and may have needed to buy a good sandwich instead, but dammit... he also needs a little kindness now and then from perfect strangers.
I can't believe how callous we - collectively, as a society - have become today. And I feel completely ashamed that I didn't do more.
Sometimes, it's *not* the little things that matter. It's the big things, and in large doses, that are better.
picked from the vine by sv @ 5:34 PM
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