Random act of kindness

Yeah, this is "Dear Facebook" but whatever.

I was on my way to work this morning and stopped to get gas about 20 miles from my house. My gas gauge was reading about 15 miles left in the tank. I don't normally cut it this close, but I got distracted by a phone call as I left the house. I went to swipe my card at the pump and realized I forgot my wallet on the table at home.

So, I went digging in the truck for loose cash. Nothing. Then I remembered I had cleaned it out last weekend. All I had was a blank check I keep in the glove compartment. So I go inside the store and ask if they would accept a personal check. The cashier said they didn't take checks. Now I realized I'm screwed. I didn't have enough gas to get to work or enough to get back home. I feel like an idiot.

I was about to call my wife at work (30 minutes away) and get her to come bring me money, when I think the cashier saw the look on my face and asked what was wrong. I told her what happened and she, without much hesitation, reached underneath the counter and grabbed her purse. She pulled out $10 and asked if that would be enough gas to get where I was going. This woman looked to be in her 60's and probably doesn't make much more than minimum wage and here she was helping out a total stranger.

I'll stop by tomorrow morning and pay her back even though she insisted it wasn't necessary. And I'll be paying it forward down the road. With all the crap you hear about, it's good to know that there are some really nice people still wandering this Earth.