This is a great story. Please pass on.
Some people!' snorted a man standing behind me in the long line at the grocery store.
'You would think the
manager would pay attention and open another line, 'said a woman. I
looked to the front of the line to see what the holdup was and saw a
well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her
credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept
rejecting it.
'It's one of them welfare
card things. Darn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said
the man standing behind me. The young woman turned around to see who
had made the comment. 'It was me,' he said pointing to himself.
The young lady's face
began to change expression.Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare
card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in
the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never
looking back, she got in and drove away.
After developing cancer
in 1977 and having had to use food stamps; I had learned never to judge
anyone, without knowing the circumstances of their life. This turned
out to be the case today.
Several minutes later a
young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if
she had seen the woman. After describing her, the cashier told him that
she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.
'Why would she do that?'
asked the man. Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had
made the statement. 'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she
was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man.
'Well, that's bad, real
bad, in fact. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago. He
had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility.
She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,'
he said in a very firm voice.
'I'm really truly sorry.
I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about. The young man
asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of
groceries. 'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.'Do you know
where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.
'Yes, she goes to our
church 'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the
line. He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the
cashier, 'Please use my card. PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card
and began to ring up the young woman's groceries. Hold on,' said the
gentleman. He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his
own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people. We got
three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line.
Everyone began to place
their groceries onto the fast moving belt. A few customers began
bagging the food and placing it into separate carts. 'Go back and get
two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man.
'NO,' yelled the man. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire
store became quiet for several seconds. 'Four turkeys,' yelled the man.
Everyone began laughing and went back to work.
When all was said and
done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries. He then
walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a
check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for
a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young
man. 'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told
the man.
The young man looked at
the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you. 'No,' said
the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.
Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap. And I drove home that day feeling very American.
We live in the Land of the free, because of the Brave!!! Remember our Troops of Yesterday and Today!!!
A great example of why we should be kind and patient.
Kindness is the language the blind can see and the
deaf can hear.
May God's many blessings continue
to be with you - ALWAYS!!!
MAY THIS KEEP GOING....
IT WILL OPEN A LOT OF EYES,
HOPEFULLY HEARTS,
AND KEEP SOME MOUTHS SHUT.
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