Making a Difference

 I was at the coffee shop yesterday behind a scruffy looking guy who ordered something While he was fingering a handful of change, including a bunch of pennies.  I leaned over to check the register - one whole dollar - so I offered to add his drink to my tab.  It turned out he was just getting a coffee refill and the change was to put in the tip jar for the staff so he declined my offer.  Afterwards he came over and told me about some mentoring he was doing at one of the tougher high schools in the area.  It was a nice talk, spiritual, full of the spirit of service.

When we got back from our trip I swung by my bank to deposit a check and the woman there who has helped me with a few matters in the past came over to say hello.  As she approached I held out my hand for a shake and she stopped with a surprised look on her face: "Oh.  I was coming in for a hug."  I laughed and gave her a hug.  A bank employee asked me for a hug.  A woman bank employee.

When we were getting off the ship one of the staff members - a woman from the Phillippines - gave SuperK and me a bag of mango candy, common in her country.  We protested, not wanting to take one of the trips that might remind her of home.  That, and we were literally being buried alive in food.  "Actually, I bring a few packages of these with me to give to my favorite guests."  Her colleague told her not to give me our passports - passports we needed to get off the ship - so that we couldn't get off the ship.

When the meeting ended this morning a new kid asked if he could join me on my beach walk.  I said yes.  Honestly, I had some good music cued up to play and then I really enjoy taking twenty minutes to meditate while I'm listening to the waves but I said yes, anyway.  The spirit of service and taking the time to pass along the message so freely given to me and all that crap . . . Boy, I forgot how boring new people are and how delusional they are and how all they want is for someone to listen to them while they're talking and not be judgemental or eager to dispense unwanted and unsolicited advice.