Last night while doing my monthly shopping run, well the first part anyway, we are in Wal-mart, and as we are walking the aisles, I make my kids say excuse me, as do I, when we are passing people. This gets a few, oh your fines, but it gets a few odd glances to. While we were in the check out lane, Thing 1 and I are working on putting our stuff on the counter and I over hear the Cashier tell Thing 2, Well I am not really that old. I am mortified. I know what my child has just said. He looks at her and says yes your old. I of course swat his bottom, because he is being mean. I apologize to the lady and tell her he has no censor button, and tell her the story of him calling my mother in law old. Hopefully she wasn't offended after all he is only 4, and in his mind my 16 year old nephew is old.
So we proceed to Subway to grab Hubs and I supper, of as the kids call it Subway Eat Fresh. While standing in line ordering our food the man in front of me is paying for his supper, and drops money out of his pocket. I see he has done so. I pick it up and hand it to him and say Sir you dropped this. It after all is what you are suppose to do. Well it is in my world anyway.
The gentleman says several thank yous which I of course say your welcome to. A couple of seconds later I hear the man say, let me get 3 cookies. When asked what kind, he tells the cashier to let my kids pick them out. I am a little stunned, and politely say, no thank you because of Thing 1's food allergy he can't have them. He then offers to buy them chips, which I tell him we are actually headed to get them Happy Meals. He then says he will put in a tip for me in the jar. I say thank you, and finish paying and am headed out the door. He then meets me in the parking lot and hands me business cards. He is an electrician, and says if I ever need electrical work to call and he will cut me a good deal.
I didn't think much about it last night, but did look at his cards this morning. He lives right down the street from me. I ride by his house one the way to school every morning.
I was a little shocked at how he was amazed that I gave him his money. I am not bragging by any means. I would hope that anyone would act in the same way. It simply is the right thing to do.
However after having a chat with Hubs last night, apparently common decency is not as common as it should be now. I maybe naive, but I was raised that you do the right thing simply because it's the right thing to do. It's not done because you may gain something from it, or get recognition, but just because. I am a firm believer in the Golden Rule. It is practiced at home, I am trying to instill it in my children. We are not a do as I say not as I do family. If I expect my children to behave a certain way, I have to first show them how to do it. I am the mom it's my job.
I will admit it made me feel really good, especially after what can be defined simply as a day from Hades.
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