Turn Up The Corners
I met a woman in need yesterday and shared with her what little I could. All the time in the back of my mind wondering "is this for real?" Am I just being scammed? I hated that feeling of distrust. It's probably from watching too much TV news, you know the reports of "watch out for the latest scam", story at 6.
I had just been killing time at Home Depot, after dropping Natie off at her first day of her new job (yay Natie!), waiting for Costco to open to peons such as me when a woman called to me as I was pulling out of the parking lot. She said she didn't want to approach the car and scare me, but would I be able to help her buy some gas. In her east coast accent she described her flight from an abusive husband in Florida, her brother had driven from Winthrop WA to rescue her and now her husband had canceled her credit cards~they needed help to get to her brother's place. I told her sure, I can give you some gas money, to which she replied "you must be a Christian, I've asked seven people and you're the first one to help."
So I drove over and met her and her brother at the gas station, used my card to give them $20 worth of gas, probably not enough to get up north to Winthrop, so I hope they found more help along the way.
But what bothered me throughout the rest of the day was this nagging feeling of "what if", what if, they were elaborate scam artists taking advantage of ignorant housewives, and somehow they were going to drain my bank account of it's entire (woowhoo) balance. I kept going over and over the entire encounter, looking for the loop holes...I hate that....I hate being mistrustful of fellow human beings. Is that why we don't smile at each other as we pass in the grocery store or scream at each other in crazy acts of road rage? Do we think everyone is out to get us? Are we so jaded that we can't make eye contact with ordinary folks just like us wheeling a cart through the grocery store, or help someone broke down on the side of the road? Okay too many questions~ I will put away my soap box.
So, I've been trying to remind myself to smile more lately, I guess for the past year or so. I've seen other people, women mostly, with frowns on their faces (If you chance to meet a frown....) and so I have been recognizing that I frown a lot as well, without even knowing it, and it ages me. I think everyone looks about 10 years younger when they smile! Instant face lift! Even if it is just a turn up the corners smile, you know the kind, not the whole show your teeth kind of smile, but just turn up the corners and look pleasant kind. It's funny how it affects others, for example after my gas-assistance incident I was pushing said cart through the aforementioned Costco and met up with one such frowny lady~I smiled, a simple, sweet, "turn up the corners" kind~she glared, still frowning~I nicely, still smiling~gunfighters at high noon~until the sun broke through and what? She smiled~a big show your teeth kind~success~I twirled my gun back into my holster and rode off into the sunset~smilin' Jack, ready to spread sunshine and happiness for another day.
I don't know where the western theme came from~maybe the Clint Eastwood movie Mr. R was watching last night. :)
P.S. She looked 10 years younger!
I had just been killing time at Home Depot, after dropping Natie off at her first day of her new job (yay Natie!), waiting for Costco to open to peons such as me when a woman called to me as I was pulling out of the parking lot. She said she didn't want to approach the car and scare me, but would I be able to help her buy some gas. In her east coast accent she described her flight from an abusive husband in Florida, her brother had driven from Winthrop WA to rescue her and now her husband had canceled her credit cards~they needed help to get to her brother's place. I told her sure, I can give you some gas money, to which she replied "you must be a Christian, I've asked seven people and you're the first one to help."
So I drove over and met her and her brother at the gas station, used my card to give them $20 worth of gas, probably not enough to get up north to Winthrop, so I hope they found more help along the way.
But what bothered me throughout the rest of the day was this nagging feeling of "what if", what if, they were elaborate scam artists taking advantage of ignorant housewives, and somehow they were going to drain my bank account of it's entire (woowhoo) balance. I kept going over and over the entire encounter, looking for the loop holes...I hate that....I hate being mistrustful of fellow human beings. Is that why we don't smile at each other as we pass in the grocery store or scream at each other in crazy acts of road rage? Do we think everyone is out to get us? Are we so jaded that we can't make eye contact with ordinary folks just like us wheeling a cart through the grocery store, or help someone broke down on the side of the road? Okay too many questions~ I will put away my soap box.
So, I've been trying to remind myself to smile more lately, I guess for the past year or so. I've seen other people, women mostly, with frowns on their faces (If you chance to meet a frown....) and so I have been recognizing that I frown a lot as well, without even knowing it, and it ages me. I think everyone looks about 10 years younger when they smile! Instant face lift! Even if it is just a turn up the corners smile, you know the kind, not the whole show your teeth kind of smile, but just turn up the corners and look pleasant kind. It's funny how it affects others, for example after my gas-assistance incident I was pushing said cart through the aforementioned Costco and met up with one such frowny lady~I smiled, a simple, sweet, "turn up the corners" kind~she glared, still frowning~I nicely, still smiling~gunfighters at high noon~until the sun broke through and what? She smiled~a big show your teeth kind~success~I twirled my gun back into my holster and rode off into the sunset~smilin' Jack, ready to spread sunshine and happiness for another day.
I don't know where the western theme came from~maybe the Clint Eastwood movie Mr. R was watching last night. :)
P.S. She looked 10 years younger!
So here is what I think. Whether they were scamming you or not you will get the blessings of helping someone out in need. And if they were scamming you, they will get their come up ins! I think we can't let the world shut us in, we've got to live by our principles and let the consequences sort themselves out. Of course we have to have some common sense about it :)
ReplyDelete