Living Outside the Lines: “Random Acts of Kindness”

We humans have a unique gift; we are the only species on the planet capable of making the world we live in a better place simply by being kind to our fellow man.  Being kind to those we know and love is generally easy and does improve our lives, but kindness to strangers?  Now, that takes the game to an entirely different level.

Certainly kindness from friends or family is meaningful, but when a random stranger steps in and does something unexpected, it leaves an indelible mark, and a story worth sharing.

Circa 1992, my sister and I are Southbound on I35 heading from Dallas to Killeen to watch my alma mater Ellison High School Screamin’ Eagles take on their cross town rivals the Killeen Kangaroos.  My sister is driving her Smokey and the Bandit style Trans Am and it breaks down just outside Waxahachie.

One minute we are flying down I35 chatting excitedly about the football game, and next thing you know we are stuck on the side of the road.  Remember, it’s 1992 and no one has cell phones.  Neither of us knows anything about cars, other than how to put the key in the ignition and start it, so we’re basically helpless.

Hundreds of cars fly by doing 55 MPH (it was years before the speed limit was raised to 70 MPH), but no one stops.  Across the highway we see a small service station, but there really is no way we can cross four lanes of traffic to try and get to it.  Suddenly, out of nowhere a young man pulls up behind us and offers to help.

Honestly, I don’t recall how long he spent working on my sister’s car, but somehow he managed to get it running again and asked nothing in return.  My sister and I make to the game by half time and safely back home again entirely due to the kindness of a complete stranger.

Fast-forward about twenty years; it’s a week day morning around 5 a.m., I’m heading to work but my car won’t start.  My husband is out of town and as I sit with my car door open pondering what my options are, a voice in the darkness calls out, “Do you need help?”  A stranger pulls his truck into my driveway.  He works really hard positioning the cars so he can jump-start my car.  The engine roars to life and off to work I go.

Random acts of kindness from strangers become stories told to your children and grandchildren.  They take on a life of their own.  They bring sunshine in what can sometimes be a cruel world.  Being the recipient of such a gift is precious, but being the one to actually bestow the gift is incomparable.

My husband has mastered this skill.  Sometimes when we are in line at a drive through, he tells the cashier at the window that he wants to pay for our order, and for the order of the car behind us.  Occasionally in a crowded restaurant, he will ask for the check of someone at another table and anonymously pay for their meal.  I can only smile at his thoughtful generosity.

I have been known to purchase two tickets for an event, one for myself and one for whomever comes next. I leave instructions with the seller to simply hand a ticket to the next customer and tell them their event has been paid in full.  Knowing that the person behind me is going to get an unexpected gift in the middle of their workday keeps me grinning until my head hits the pillow at night.

If you have never been the recipient of a Random Act of Kindness, I would say this, “Tis More Blessed to Give Than to Receive”.  So go ahead, try it.  You have absolutely nothing to lose!  Be careful though, the feeling can be addicting.

Until Next Time,

Becky J Miller

“Warrior Princess”