Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Faith in Humanity Restored

Today at the Cheeseboard (the PIZZA part):

I lined up, just before the restaurant opened, shuffled along to the front of the line, dreaming about my pizza, with my credit card in my hand, assuming that they took credit cards because the cheese part of the Cheeseboard does. As I got the the counter and noticed the register was old fashioned and simple, I asked if they took credit cards, found out they didn't, frowned, and went to leave. But the happy guy at the counter just said, "You want pizza? It's really good. Pay next time." And I got my steaming slice, complete with mini taster slice, and no money changed hands, and I walked out.

My tiny new mission in life is to be like that guy every day, every opportunity I get. How refreshing and novel when people choose to interact as people, rather than as rulebooks or computer programs. I get so wrapped up in technicalities sometimes, I get stressed out worrying about getting what's mine, about protecting myself from being used, maybe we all do. But we don't have to worry so much about the rules, about technical boundaries between what's mine and yours, about staying even with friends or even enemies. The guy at the Cheeseboard probably does selfless, humane stuff all the time, but you can see by his attitude that he doesn't spend his whole life worrying about being taken advantage of. I want to start being giving because I think it's the right thing to do, because I think that's how people should live, and not because I want something back.

Could this tingly sensation be holiday cheer? Weird.

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