Food For Thought

I wanted to relate something I overheard while shopping the other day.

I must confess, I shop the Salvation Army Store regularly. I find fantastic deals there and the people watching is great. Sometimes the people listening can be very inspirational.

I was there last Friday and overheard a very nice African American woman speaking with another woman who was Caucasian. Normally I couldn't care less about race, ethnicity or anything for that matter, it's about the person inside not the skin they wear on the outside. But this happens to be pertinent to the story.

The African American woman was very well dressed, well spoken and just very nice. The Caucasian woman was just the opposite; she had the look of a difficult life, very poorly dressed and generally sad. These two ladies were discussing the New Orleans tragedy and apparently the Caucasian woman was someone who had escaped the devastation but some friends of hers had not.

The more affluent woman stood and listened intently to the less fortunate woman and did nothing but give her reassurance and kindness and even a hug at the end of the conversation. I was so touched. I was suddenly very happy to be of the human race.

But the statement that truly hit me was what the less fortunate woman said to the the other woman as they parted ways:

"Thanks for listening to me and being so nice to me. You have no idea what it meant to me for someone to be so nice."

The response?
"But isn't that what we all should do for one another? It was my pleasure."

Race is irrelevent if we first remember to be human.
People can be worth you time.
Being nice is free, only if we choose to give it.