It was the night before Thanksgiving. I had been wallowing in the prospects of gluttony for approximately 12 hours, and the future looks plentiful. After teaching my mother’s classes at the studio that night, my sister and I locked up and headed over to Johnnie’s Foodmaster, which was open extra late that night. The mission was to get swiss cheese and 1/2 and 1/2, but as we walked through the aisles I found myself holding a half-sour pickle wrapped tightly in the same plastic bags that deli meat comes in, and a 1/4 pound of seafood salad.
After a long and silly discussion about tart molds, we proceeded to the checkout. I noticed that several people were walking out of the aisle 3 checkout line. You know how people get, when someone is taking longer than expected at the grocery store. People can be very impatient when it comes to the food. I’m happy waiting in line usually, as long as it’s reasonable. I like to tally my approximate total without looking at the pricetags while I wait and then see how close I was once I get done with checkout.
Since I don’t mind waiting, and now that 3 people had left the line, I decided to take the spot behind “the slowpoke.” Well, it turns out that the slowpoke was taking a while because she didn’t have nearly enough money for the food she had gathered up. (e, pardon the self-plaigerizing that is about to take place.)
the woman in front of me at the checkout had a few items scattered on the conveyor belt, a few in a bag, and had some in her hands. she was also holding a bundle of cash, mostly $1s. it took me a minute to gather what was going on. you know, she was with it. she was put together, i think she was haitian judging from the accent but she had a bag of sugar, an acorn squash, grapes, a loaf of bread, and milk on the conveyor belt. she had about 5 or 7 other things in a bag held behind the counter and the total was getting high.
she only had $20 and change and she started exchanging items for other more important items. basically, she didn’t have enough money and i’m standing there behind her just saying to myself, this ain’t right. so as graciously as I know how, I leaned over to her and said, “i would really like to help you out.”
I’v never been big on angels, but this Angel of the East came to Johnnie’s that night and did something that no Feed the Children infomercial, or this week’s MTV Real Life, I’m Dead Broke, can teach anyone. I was shocked at the distance at which everyone kept themself from the situation, and how the energy being produced in those few minutes was just a pure stench of discomfort. Without railing the people that could have or should have done things differently, I just want to say that things happen in funny ways sometimes, at funny times. I hope, but really believe, that she and her family had their thanksgiving dinner on the table.
You may be able to fill an empty plate with a few cents or some oats, but there are very few ways to fill an empty heart. That’s why we need to keep working so hard as human beings, friends, family, and fellow to keep eachother full.