Ok, that's a lie. He always gets out of bed before I do. I tend to ward off the day until the last possible moment, forcing me to eventually rush around like a mad woman in order to get to work on time. And with matching socks. He, on the other hand, likes to take his time in the morning, watching a little television while drinking his first cup or two of coffee.
Therefore, when I dragged myself out of my flannel sheets this morning, the news channel was already running on the flat screen. My husband teases me about not knowing what is going on in the world, as I do not purposefully watch the news or read the newspaper.
So much of what is in the media today is depressing or just horrible. Unfortunately, that's what tends to make ratings. And why is that? Why must we be enthralled by watching horrible things happen to other people? It's like when America's Funniest Home Videos plays those clips of people falling off trampolines or roofs and we can't stop ourselves from not only watching, but laughing. I'm not immune to this either- I have watched my share of Tosh.O...But as I waited impatiently for the Keurig to finish dribbling into my mug, a story caught my ear and I started to pay attention.
Somewhere at one of the thousands of Walmarts in this country (there are literally over 4000 of them), a young woman went to work the other morning as a cashier. Now, cashiers at Walmart average around $9 dollars an hour. Minimum wage is $7.25. I wonder what it is like to make $9 per hour and literally watch all day as people spend hundreds of dollars (especially this time of year) on things you know you could never afford.
But for all of those who had enough money for what she passed through the scanner, there was an elderly man who did not. After telling him the total for his purchases, the man handed her some money and asked if it was enough. It was not, so the man started putting some of his purchases back in the cart to return, including food that was for both him and his pet.
Instead of letting the older man leave without what he needed for what was probably his family (my dog is part of my family!), the cashier reached into her own pocket and put $40 dollars on top of the man's wallet while his head was turned. She then told him that she was wrong about not having enough money and finished his transaction.
Now, $40 may not be a big deal to some people. But after taxes, that $40 was probably close to an entire day's pay for this kind woman. When I stop and think about whether or not I would place an entire day's worth of my own pay in someone's hand so readily, I am ashamed to say I would falter. How much do you make in a day? Would you sacrifice that for a stranger in need at a moment's notice?
The next man in line saw what happened, and went to the manager of the store to ensure that the employee got recognition for her good deed. And yes, I'm sure Walmart has used this story to their advantage for marketing. And yes, she has now had her fifteen minutes of fame. But as I watched her get interviewed on national television, I was moved by this woman. She was well spoken, confident, and kind-spirited. She was earnest when she said that she had no intention of recognition. Instead, her statement was this:
Do something nice for others, and not just around the holidays. Be kind, and don't do so with expectations of reward or recognition. Do it because it's the right thing to do.
Now that's what our country actually needs to see on the news.
Tonight's picture represents acts of kindness. Maybe I should start a news channel that shows nothing but positive things throughout the world. Wouldn't that be awesome? A Positive 365 News Channel. I wanna be that reporter. I want positive stories to be the norm, not the oddity that makes me stop and turn my head. I have learned so much this year simply by intentionally looking for the good. It has made me a better person. I helped an elderly lady get her groceries in her car today. I wouldn't have done that a year ago- not because I wasn't a good person then, but because being intentionally positive has had an impact on my life that causes me to see little things that I didn't before. I probably would have passed right by that woman without even realizing she was struggling, too engrossed in my own life to recognize someone else's need and my opportunity to make someone smile. So be kind to others. Live with intention. And look for the positive, or how you can create the positive. Maybe if we all did that, the news channels would have to change their ways, as there wouldn't be enough negative stuff to broadcast.
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