I know most of you don't know this, but I am a cashier for a living. I'm used to seeing people at their worst. I'm used to seeing them when they're tired, angry, impatient, and just want to get home. Even so, people do sometimes amaze me.
Last night I was working the register and this very young couple came through my line. They were buying groceries and the girl was clearly pregnant. After I rang everything up, the guy ran his debit card and it didn't go through. Though discouraged, the guy kept calm and slid another card, which was also denied.
He knew there should have been enough money on the cards to cover their tab, so while he called the company, I had the order suspended so that I could ring up the next customer and it wouldn't take long for me to bring their order back up when the young couple was ready.
The next customer stepped up and asked me how much the young couple's order had been. I told him, $41.80. The man then proceeded to tell me he would pay for their order. I scanned the suspension slip, and the man slid his debit card, and everything went through.
Now I have seen people pay for people's orders before. Its not common, but it does happen, but what I saw last night was a first. The young couple finally got their card working, and the guy pulled some money out of the ATM. He walked up to the man who had paid for them, trying to return the money. The man refused to take it. He told them to keep the money and buy something nice for their baby.
The world today is hell. People killing each other for small amounts of money. People stealing, people scamming, people simply being greedy. Most of the time it is safer to simply mind your own business because humans generally are not a generous species. Despite this, doing my job I see that there still are good people in the world. There is still a light that shines and pulls us together.
Whether or not you are religious doesn't matter. Whether or not you believe in God, or heaven and hell doesn't matter either. If you would simply help others before helping yourself, the world would be a better place. Love others. Even people you don't know. Treat them with a kindness. It will make you feel better, and it makes people happier.
The man who paid that young couple's bill said words I here often but rarely see in action. Pay it forward. Why don't we do this? Why don't we help others hoping only that they will in turn help someone else?
People tell me that country music is all sad and slow. They are wrong. There is a country song that fits this situation. It is called "Chain of Love" and it is performed by Clay Walker. Here are the lyrics:
He was driving home one evening,
In his beat up Pontiac
When an old lady flagged him down,
Her Mercedes had a flat
He could see that she was frightened,
Standing out there in the snow
'Til he said I'm here to help you ma'am,
By the way my name is Joe
She said I'm from St. Louis,
And I'm only passing through
I must have seen a hundred cars go by,
This is awful nice of you
When he changed the tire,
And closed her trunk
And was about to drive away,
She said how much do I owe you
Here's what he had to say
You don't owe me a thing, I've been there too
Someone once helped me out,
Just the way I'm helping you
If you really want to pay me back,
Here's what you do
Don't let the chain of love end with you
Well a few miles down the road,
The lady saw a small cafe
She went in to grab a bite to eat,
And then be on her way
But she couldn't help but notice,
How the waitress smiled so sweet
And how she must've been eight months along,
And dead on her feet
And though she didn't know her story,
And she probably never will
When the waitress went to get her change,
From a hundred dollar bill
The lady slipped right out the door,
And on a napkin left a note
There were tears in the waitress's eyes,
When she read what she wrote
You don't owe me a thing,
I've been there too
Someone once helped me out,
Just the way I'm helping you
If you really want to pay me back,
Here's what you do
Don't let the chain of love end with you
That night when she got home from work,
The waitress climbed into bed
She was thinkin' about the money,
And what the lady's note had said
As her husband lay there sleeping,
She whispered soft and low
Everything's gonna be alright, I love you, Joe
Eventually if you pay it forward, you will be helped by someone who was another link in your chain of love. It brings forward a notion in people that they can help people. That they should help people, and not for personal gain. People have a heart. It just takes a good person to show people how to use it.
