Giving

By Curtis Dunlap

 

People Enjoy the Little Things

 

During a routine trip to McDonalds one night, I was with a friend, my roommate Tyler Beauchamp. We were ordering our food like normal. For me two mcdoubles, a large fry and a large hi-c with no ice, Tyler got his usual French fries and chicken nuggets. While we were ordering a car pulled up behind us. I hardly noticed because when doesn’t this happen? That’s a normal occurrence in a McDonalds drive through line. We get our total and pull up to the second window and hand the cashier the money. After this exchange we receive our food and immediately check it because fast food restaurants are notorious for messing up my simple orders. Everything seems to check out and look good. I glance behind and see the car still in line behind us. I had the thought to ask the cashier what the people behind us got and how much it was. Apparently it was a couple and they had ordered ice cream to go. So I decided to be noble and ‘that guy’ I handed the cashier 4 more dollars and paid for their ice cream. When we pulled up and let the other car get to the window they were surprised to find that they did not have to pay. We waited in front of them for a few seconds to see their reaction.  As I predicted they were surprised and in awe that someone would do that for them.

                I immediately felt great about what I did. I made this couples night, they got free ice cream and I got a good feeling. It was a completely altruistic action. Although I did like the feeling I got when I saw their faces from halfway out my window. They were smiling from ear to ear and waving at me. My act of kindness brought joy to this couple; maybe they went on and did something nice for someone else that day, or maybe even the next day. All I wanted to do was make them happy. Who doesn’t like to get free food? Especially when you think you are going to have to pay.

                It may not have been much; they may have been able to afford the ice cream six times over or however many. But I know I did something good that had some sort of impact on someone, whether it was the cashier, the man or the women. I could have made a difference, a movement that sparked other random acts of kindness. People should do that more often, randomly kind to strangers. It truly is a good feeling to know you made someone’s day, or even to just see them smile.