Saturday, August 07, 2010

The People of Wal-Mart

Yesterday, I ventured out to Wal-Mart for a little bit.  I seem to be spending a lot of time over there because it is close to the house, so I feel safe driving there, it is big, and there are lots of things that Leah likes to look at there (especially the fish).

We were checking out so we could bring home dinner to The General, and I was trying to keep Leah entertained, as she was attempting to stand up in the cart and was squealing.  The lady ahead of me had loaded her stuff onto the belt and her two sons were bagging on the other end.  She was kind of staring at me, but frankly between the brace and the daughter-of-a-different-color, I’ve gotten used to people staring at me and I tend to ignore it.  But this lady decided to talk to me.

“What’s that thing on your arm?” she asked.  Now, I have had a bunch of kids ask me this at the play park, but not too many adults.  So I explained that I had dislocated my elbow and that the brace was to keep my elbow from coming back apart.  She said that she had suffered a serious elbow injury several years ago and she knew what a pain in the butt it was to deal with.  And then she said, “So, we are going to help you out.”

I really didn’t know what she meant exactly, but she started by saying that she would put our goodies up on the belt.  I thanked her profusely.  Once she had everything up on the belt, she asked how I was managing, my prognosis, and how long I’d have to wear the brace.  I told her I was doing better than expected and hoped to have the brace off a month early, but that it was still slow going.

She responded by telling her son to bag our stuff and make sure it got in the cart.  Then she said to me, “Make sure you pay this forward someday when you have two arms.”  So I assured her I would, and then she said, “Ok, my son will make sure you get your car loaded up safely.”

She left with her other son, and the one who was helping did indeed bag and put everything in the cart and get us out to the car. 

I have no idea who the heck this woman was, her name, her son’s name, nothing, but I will never forget her.  It was one of the nicest things that has ever happened to me. 

2 pearl(s) of wisdom:

Jasper John R. said...

Can't give a gift without a recipient. So you were enabling her to be noble.

Talmadge said...

Very sweet. It's stuff like that which reminds us, in the middle of our entire society going completely beneath hell, that some true goodness exists.

And at Wally World, of all places. Wonders shall never perish.