A 31-Cent Gift

I'm kinda embarrassed. And kinda not.

I was in line at the grocery store today, when one of the employees came up to buy a simple bag of chips ("crisps" to you in the UK; I like that). It turns out that she didn't have any money with her, so she told the checker that she'd have to put it on her debit card. I was packing my groceries into the large, gray, plastic tub I use in place of plastic grocery bags (hate 'em) and overheard the conversation.

After insisting on paying the 31-cent cost of the chips, the employee insisted that she pay me back. "Not to mind," I told her. No problem. No worries. Consider it a Christmas gift. A New Years present. Pay it forward. "When's your birthday?" I asked. "Consider it an early present."

I don't know if I was more embarrassed to have her insist on paying me back - I hope she doesn't, actually - or if I was more sad that she didn't have even 31 cents in her pocket. A simple kindness, which was surpassed by tens of thousands or "larger" kindnesses around the world today, no doubt.

My wife and I have been there - one year after Christmas we had all of $47.00 to our name. To be sure, we also had a house - with its mortgage, property taxes and utility bills; two cars - with their insurance, gas and repair costs; and four kids - with their clothing, schooling, doctor and dental bills. And we were working, which solves a lot of monetary ills. So I understand.

Or am I getting too far away from life-as-it-is for many: living week-to-week, paycheck-to-paycheck?