Thursday, September 25, 2003
RECIPROCITY
Yesterday was a long day. After I left work I was simply anxious to get home and to bed as quickly as possible without having to cook a thing. Although I normally don't frequent restaurants during the weeknights, I buckled last night and made my way through the drive-thru section of a reputable and renowned fast food joint. I was tired and just wanted to eat but as Murphy's law would have it, I found myself in a line of cars that was the complete antithesis of the phrase "fast food." Eventually, the line inched forward and I became the second car in line. My impatience was further fueled when I noticed that the lady in the car ahead of me (I could see her through her side mirror) was having a detailed conversation with the cashier. It seemed to be taking her a long time to pay for her meal. I assumed they were flirting and marveled at the nerve of the cashier: apparently he had found an efficacious way to combine his duties and dating! I briefly considered honking my horn at them. After all, they were not only holding me up with their loquacious chatter, they were holding up the people behind me. At this point, I noticed the two pointing to the back of the line- I saw them pointing at me!
Frustration turned to wonder, and I mulled over all the things that could cause them to point in my direction: I assumed that the girl had made a mistake with her order, or she had dropped something or...who knows what...all I knew was that the girl was drastically impeding the rest of us. Eventually, she pulled away from the window, and I took her place. In the universal drive-thru fashion, the cashier handed me my coke and a straw and I presented my crisp twenty dollar bill. Imagine my surprise when I was informed that the lady in front of me had just paid for my meal!?? Why? I asked. Just because, came the answer. A wave of humility washed over me as I sat in my car, mouth agape. Her one act of kindness forced me to suddenly become aware of the "It's all about me" attitude that had usurped my drive-thru escapade.
What could I do? I didn't even have a chance to say "thank you." So...having just been served a piping hot, fresh slice of humble pie I saw it only fitting that I pay for the man seated in the car behind me.
Yesterday was a long day. After I left work I was simply anxious to get home and to bed as quickly as possible without having to cook a thing. Although I normally don't frequent restaurants during the weeknights, I buckled last night and made my way through the drive-thru section of a reputable and renowned fast food joint. I was tired and just wanted to eat but as Murphy's law would have it, I found myself in a line of cars that was the complete antithesis of the phrase "fast food." Eventually, the line inched forward and I became the second car in line. My impatience was further fueled when I noticed that the lady in the car ahead of me (I could see her through her side mirror) was having a detailed conversation with the cashier. It seemed to be taking her a long time to pay for her meal. I assumed they were flirting and marveled at the nerve of the cashier: apparently he had found an efficacious way to combine his duties and dating! I briefly considered honking my horn at them. After all, they were not only holding me up with their loquacious chatter, they were holding up the people behind me. At this point, I noticed the two pointing to the back of the line- I saw them pointing at me!
Frustration turned to wonder, and I mulled over all the things that could cause them to point in my direction: I assumed that the girl had made a mistake with her order, or she had dropped something or...who knows what...all I knew was that the girl was drastically impeding the rest of us. Eventually, she pulled away from the window, and I took her place. In the universal drive-thru fashion, the cashier handed me my coke and a straw and I presented my crisp twenty dollar bill. Imagine my surprise when I was informed that the lady in front of me had just paid for my meal!?? Why? I asked. Just because, came the answer. A wave of humility washed over me as I sat in my car, mouth agape. Her one act of kindness forced me to suddenly become aware of the "It's all about me" attitude that had usurped my drive-thru escapade.
What could I do? I didn't even have a chance to say "thank you." So...having just been served a piping hot, fresh slice of humble pie I saw it only fitting that I pay for the man seated in the car behind me.
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