$60 for a $100 Service

 I've always been fascinated - flummoxed, really - by the concept of selfless service to others.  It makes sense as a theoretical concept.  I can see how people would admire someone who's thinking about others more so than thinking of oneself but to put this into practice?  In the real world?  With other people?  Irritating, obnoxious, intolerable other people?  Whew.  That's a lift, a stretch.

I'm probably emphasizing money too much as I write about my attempts to be more selfless but it's such a relatable, tangible asset that it makes it easy to quantify.  SuperK and I finally replaced an old mattress.  A couple of Hispanic kids brought this super-heavy item to our house.  If I would have paid the company $100 they were obligated to open the cardboard box, drop the mattress right on the box springs, and remove the refuse from our property.  I balked at the $100.  The bedroom is literally 10 steps from the front door and it's all on one level.

"Anyway, can I talk you guys into bringing the mattress into the bedroom?  Right there, that room right there?"

They explained that since I hadn't ordered the Red Gold Service they weren't supposed to do that.

"How about I kick you guys $20 apiece?  I'd rather give you the money than the company?"

"$20 for each of us?"  one of them asked.

"Yeah, we can do that." the other one said.  "We'll even take the garbage away."

They then introduced themselves and started calling me Mr. Steve.  I enjoyed the sense of well-being so much I handed the first kid another $20 when they were leaving.  "Make sure this dude splits this with you," I said to Dude #2, needling Dude #1.  "He looks kind of sketchy to me."

The way I choose to look at this is that a $100 service cost me $60 and it went right to two kids who really appreciated the extra money.  They're going to spend it on food and rent and gas and not on stock buy-backs or larger dividends for shareholders.  I bet this was a topic of conversation with their wives or girlfriends.  "Hey, dude gave me an extra $30."  They're lucky to be making $15/hour so this was like an extra two hours of work that took them all of five minutes.

The point is that I can't develop self-esteem by thinking estimable thoughts.  You can't think your way into good action but you can act your way into good thinking.  And - to repeat myself - it isn't the amount of money so much as the act of giving away something that I could have kept for myself.  Some of us can't afford a $20 tip and that's okay.  Give your time or your energy if you don't have any extra cash.  My life today is going to proceed exactly the same way as it would if I had that $60 back except that I'm going to feel great about myself.

So Oscar and John (Juan, actually, but he dumbed it down for me), enjoy your money.