kindness from a stranger
Now I am going to think of more...but a few years ago, on a cold snowy sunday morning...I went to a Dunkin Doughnuts in downtown Pittsburgh.
I sat down in an orange booth and my husband went to order us two bagel, egg, and cheese sandwiches.
There was no one else in the small cramped seating area except this man in the back,
He had a beard, was drinking a coffee,
and a garbage bag half full sat at his feet.
Now I was sitting there thinking of all the reasons
I had chosen to stop going to church,
I felt very at home with my views as a spiritual person rejecting all organized
ritual...but something inside, missed the singing....aahhhh the choir singing.
I would miss that very much....
and it felt strange to sit here, in this booth
waiitng..
Someone opened the door,
A chill whipped into that space.
I remember thinking,
It is sooooo cold out there.
Seconds later,
the man in the back,
Got up,
chucked his garbage bag over his shoulder,
and began to walk towards the door,
Just before he passed me,
He stopped...
And for no reason at all,
started singing to me!
I believe it was an Elvis song....
I could not help but beam with delight!
When he finished, I offerred him some money and of course he refused.
I'll never forget his face,
and the best voice I ever heard in the Dunkin Doughnuts Choir!
I sat down in an orange booth and my husband went to order us two bagel, egg, and cheese sandwiches.
There was no one else in the small cramped seating area except this man in the back,
He had a beard, was drinking a coffee,
and a garbage bag half full sat at his feet.
Now I was sitting there thinking of all the reasons
I had chosen to stop going to church,
I felt very at home with my views as a spiritual person rejecting all organized
ritual...but something inside, missed the singing....aahhhh the choir singing.
I would miss that very much....
and it felt strange to sit here, in this booth
waiitng..
Someone opened the door,
A chill whipped into that space.
I remember thinking,
It is sooooo cold out there.
Seconds later,
the man in the back,
Got up,
chucked his garbage bag over his shoulder,
and began to walk towards the door,
Just before he passed me,
He stopped...
And for no reason at all,
started singing to me!
I believe it was an Elvis song....
I could not help but beam with delight!
When he finished, I offerred him some money and of course he refused.
I'll never forget his face,
and the best voice I ever heard in the Dunkin Doughnuts Choir!
Views: 79
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Brignac on
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That's beautiful. I've grown up in church...from Southern Baptist...to charismatic...to United Methodist. The "We're better than everyone else" attitude that I've experienced in some is a big turn off, but the singing, hmm. That's what I love!
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Permalink Reply by Sandy Mays on
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Like you, throughout my adult life, I have missed singing at church. I also have been shown kindness several times from strangers. Many moons ago, it was the day before Thanksgiving, and I had no extra money to prepare the traditional dinner for me and my two young children. No plans had been made anywhere else, so I went to scout out what we had left to prepare for the holiday dinner. I saw that I had a package of pinto beans, and a one pound pack of hamburger meat. Normally, this would have made me very emotional, and I would have cried because I couldn't offer my children the traditional meal. But, something changed inside of me this time, I was optimistic, I didn't cry, and I began thanking God for what we did have. I knew so many in the world would have loved to eat beans and hamburger meat for dinner. Within an hour, there was a knock at my door. There stands a man and a woman with bags of food, tons of it. They filled my entire kitchen cabinets, freezer, and refridgerator up with food. There was nothing they left out--treats for the kids, milk ice-cream, cheese. The people told me that someone had put my name in at their church for holiday help. My tears overflowed with joy. I will never forget this all the days that I live. I will always try to think of ways I can spread the same joy around to someone else.
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Permalink Reply by MiraCulous on
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Wow! That's amazing! right when you were thinking about it?! You know what's wierd is that Elvis has been coming up ALOT lately!!! Out of ALL the songs he sang an Elvis one!?
the other day, was picking up something to put in the back of a truck and we didn't have anything to secure it with. We asked the guy from the store if he had anything, so as he was going inside to get it, before he has a chance to come back, some guy just pulls up his truck and gives us the perfect bungee cord!! :)
I don't even think he said anything, just stood there and handed it over and then disappeared!!! He was like some kind of Super Hero : )
...moments like that really renew hope and make you realize how much a random act of simple kindness can make a such a huge impact!!! it really is a "Ripple Effect", I will cherish that moment and that kind man forever!! :)
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Permalink Reply by elaine on
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= ) it is those impromptu moments in life that electrify it! thank you for sharing your's! thanks, btw, for posting aesop as opposed to the "no good deed never goes unpunished!"
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Permalink Reply by Maria Prins on
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O, how wonderful!! God heard your plea for music...
I grew up Catholic, and was never fond of the rituals. I'm not an organized religion person, either. I have faith, I read the Bible daily, and I have recently started to go back to church. But I found a church with no organizational, ritualistic ways. We go in, grab some coffee, sit on a couch, or a chair, or the coffee bar area, and listen to the band sing uplifting music for 2/3 of the service. The other third is a little Bible study, basically. All the people are open, friendly, and best of all, they don't judge me since I have several tattoos and USED to have jet black hair with a blue streak. they opened the doors, and welcomed me, with their great music and cheerful faces. THAT'S the way it should be! -
"Why should there be hunger and deprivation in any land, in any city, at any table, when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?"
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
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