Post by Pyris on Mar 29, 2007 12:56:59 GMT -5
Now, this is about something that happened to me one day, and I wrote an article about it and sent it to one of the many papers. I didn't want many people to read it, so I got it printed on one of our lesser-known papers. I have the article on my bedroom wall now.
Kris wouldn't leave me alone until I let some of my friends read it, and I suppose I consider the people on this site closer to friends than many of my acquaintences, so here it is.
It's a God Thing
I've lived in the Volunteer State for all my life. I've often found myself wondering why they called it that. Sure, I've heard it in the history lessons sometimes, when a student asks a teacher why, but never really understood how the nickname stands today. I found that out recently.
I was at WALMART, yes, everyone knows where that is. There's one in every county, I'm sure. We were in Sevierville and I wanted to cash my unemployment check. See, I get laid off during the winters because my workplace is closed during that time. Sevierville is a tourist town, after all. Well, I've been cashing my checks at WALMART's registers ever since I started getting my unemployment. I don't have a State I.D. I think maybe I should invest in one. The WALMART this week decided they wouldn't let me cash my check because I didn't have a 'government distributed identification.' I was a little stressed out, mostly because I'd done it every week for over two months.
My total came to 36.98, or something relatively close to that. So I was in a little bit of a jam. There was a woman a couple people back in the line who came up to the front beside me. She asked me how much it was, so I told her. Now, I'm only seventeen, but I know what generosity is. She offered to pay my sum and asked if I was comfortable with that. I turned her down, of course I wouldn't take money from a stranger.
I argued with the person in charge over my check for a few moments and finally just gave my friend my bank card to get out the money for the things we bought. Most of it was pet food; food for our dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. Of course, there was a candy bar and some Robin Eggs for the trip home, too. While my friend was at the ATM, the woman insisted once again that she would pay it.
I figured I'd feel guilty if I allowed her to pay it and guilty still if I didn't let her. So I let her. After a few 'thank yous' and whatnot, she said not to worry about it. Once, somebody did the same thing for her, and told her to return the favor when she had the money to do so. She said it was 'a God thing.'
I think it may have been obvious I'm not a very religious person, because I didn't really understand what she meant until I looked back on it for a moment. It didn't matter that I'm not a religious person because I was in a bind, and she could help me out. Such a small act of kindness may seem like an insignificant gesture, but it meant alot to me. Kindness like that is such a rare thing to find.
My friend came back from the ATM with the money after she paid my bill and tried to return the money to her. She simply shook her head and told my friend to help somebody out when we could afford to, and return the favor. I'm not sure what else was said, but I know my friend was also told that it was 'a God thing.'
God or not, that woman has a heart of gold, and if her generosity isn't something to be thankful enough for, the fact that people like her still walk around would be. One day I will return the favor. Until then, I can be happy knowing that, yes, there are still some Volunteers in the Volunteer State.
Kris wouldn't leave me alone until I let some of my friends read it, and I suppose I consider the people on this site closer to friends than many of my acquaintences, so here it is.
It's a God Thing
I've lived in the Volunteer State for all my life. I've often found myself wondering why they called it that. Sure, I've heard it in the history lessons sometimes, when a student asks a teacher why, but never really understood how the nickname stands today. I found that out recently.
I was at WALMART, yes, everyone knows where that is. There's one in every county, I'm sure. We were in Sevierville and I wanted to cash my unemployment check. See, I get laid off during the winters because my workplace is closed during that time. Sevierville is a tourist town, after all. Well, I've been cashing my checks at WALMART's registers ever since I started getting my unemployment. I don't have a State I.D. I think maybe I should invest in one. The WALMART this week decided they wouldn't let me cash my check because I didn't have a 'government distributed identification.' I was a little stressed out, mostly because I'd done it every week for over two months.
My total came to 36.98, or something relatively close to that. So I was in a little bit of a jam. There was a woman a couple people back in the line who came up to the front beside me. She asked me how much it was, so I told her. Now, I'm only seventeen, but I know what generosity is. She offered to pay my sum and asked if I was comfortable with that. I turned her down, of course I wouldn't take money from a stranger.
I argued with the person in charge over my check for a few moments and finally just gave my friend my bank card to get out the money for the things we bought. Most of it was pet food; food for our dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. Of course, there was a candy bar and some Robin Eggs for the trip home, too. While my friend was at the ATM, the woman insisted once again that she would pay it.
I figured I'd feel guilty if I allowed her to pay it and guilty still if I didn't let her. So I let her. After a few 'thank yous' and whatnot, she said not to worry about it. Once, somebody did the same thing for her, and told her to return the favor when she had the money to do so. She said it was 'a God thing.'
I think it may have been obvious I'm not a very religious person, because I didn't really understand what she meant until I looked back on it for a moment. It didn't matter that I'm not a religious person because I was in a bind, and she could help me out. Such a small act of kindness may seem like an insignificant gesture, but it meant alot to me. Kindness like that is such a rare thing to find.
My friend came back from the ATM with the money after she paid my bill and tried to return the money to her. She simply shook her head and told my friend to help somebody out when we could afford to, and return the favor. I'm not sure what else was said, but I know my friend was also told that it was 'a God thing.'
God or not, that woman has a heart of gold, and if her generosity isn't something to be thankful enough for, the fact that people like her still walk around would be. One day I will return the favor. Until then, I can be happy knowing that, yes, there are still some Volunteers in the Volunteer State.