I have been meaning to post about two of these people, and then yesterday another man was added to my list, so I better write before I forget.
First, the young waitress at Mary B's restaurant a couple weeks ago caught our attention. She had such a happy nature, serving us easily and smoothly, but it was her service to another diner that nearly brought me to tears. This man was in a wheelchair, and it wasn't just any wheelchair. It had a headrest decked out with cautionary colors of orange and yellow, and flashing lights. The electric chair supported several tote bags hanging from its frame, and it was clear that this guy travels around a good bit in his chair.
It was also obvious that he was a regular at Mary B's. His table seemed to be almost set up specifically for his needs. And the young waitress knew him well, calling him by name, coming by to check on him, help his with his food, holding his cup while he drank, all while carrying on an easy conversation. When it was time for him to leave, she reached into one of his bags and took out his pills, helping him to take them, then reached in again and got his travel mug which she filled up with water for him. She wiped a spill from his clothes, and said a cheerful, "See you tomorrow, Jim" as he left.
I have had good, even great, servers in the past, but never have I seen anyone treat a customer with such care and respect. When I complimented her, she simply said, "Oh, he comes in all the time, and he always asks for me. I like him."
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Last week I had an appointment with another physical therapist, to see if there were any other options for dealing with my painful knee. The consultation was basically fruitless, as she only wanted to focus on getting more bend and not on solutions to the ongoing nerve pain. But she put me on the recumbent bike for 10 minutes so I made some use of the time, at least. While I was pedaling away, a man in his eary 30's got on the treadmill beside me. He started out very slowly and stiffly, carefullymanipulating his prosthetic leg, which was attached at mid-thigh--so he had lost his knee, lower leg, ankle and foot. Wow.
As we worked we got to talking, and I asked if he'd had a motorcycle wreck, as it seemed like everyone I have ever met who is missing a limb has wrecked a bike. "Dirt bike," he replied. He told me that they tried to save his leg for three months, and the agony, effect of painkillers, and constant blood clots made him beg to just have the leg cut off. Again, wow. "I'm too young to be an invalid," he said, "so I have to get this thing working good. I have a life to get back to." I left there thinking that my painful knee seemed a small thing compared to this man.
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The third thing happened yesterday at Aldi's. A woman came up to each aisle, asking if anyone had found any money. She had dropped it in the store and was frantically searching everywhere. As it happened, on the other end of the store, a man was asking people if they had lost any money. Needless to say, the lady got her money back. When I told the man what a good guy he was, he just said, "It wasn't mine. I didn't work for it, and who knows, it might have been all she had." What a great example he set for the boy who was with him. And really, a great example for everyone in the store.
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I'll add one more small story, which sure made things easier for us. We were loading some pavers, heavy squares of concrete, to put along the edge of our sidewalk. We needed 40 of them and it was raining. A young man called out, "Do you need any help?" Now I am never one to turn down help from strong young men, so immediately said "Yes." He rounded up a couple other workers and a forklift, and in no time had those 40 stones loaded in our truck. He didn't have to do that, but we sure appreciated it.
