It's all about timing

So I'm at a convenience store, walking out with my drink. This guy is at the counter, paying for his stuff. It's weird, because this all seems to be happening in slo-mo. I glance over to see him pulling his hand out of his front pocket to reach for his wallet in his back pocket. As he does this a wad of cash falls to the floor. As I'm walking past, I say "Excuse me...you've dropped your money on the floor" and I keep walking towards the door, I've had 3 headaches in 3 days & was hurrying home. As he bends over to pick up the money, I hear him say oh, my!

So I'm out in the car now. He walks up to the car & motions to me like he's rolling down a car window (old skool style...BPW...Before Power Windows!). After I do, he says "I forgot the money was in that pocket! It was $ 93.00 & I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't mentioned it. I didn't realized I dropped it, it was all the money I had!" He is emotional, says he wants to buy me a pop, or heck a bottle of wine...he is so grateful!

I'm like, "it's ok, no prob, glad to help, you don't have to do anything, just glad I was in the right place at the right time for you!" I could tell he was just stunned at the thought that he might have lost all that money. I could see he was some kind of laborer (construction, mechanic or something), probably around 50 yrs old or more. He'd worked hard for that money.

It's intriguing, being the right person in the right place at the right time like that. I seem to have a knack for it. I was telling a friend about it today & she said she probably wouldn't have noticed him at all. On a different day, I might not have either. If the timing would have been slightly different, I would have already walked passed him & not even noticed when he dropped it. He might have walked out of the store & left it there & someone else would have found it and bought lottery tickets. Fate is an amazing thing. 

Hope he PLays it forward..good deed for good deed..

Well, with any luck he'll pass it on, but I didn't look at it that way at the time or I suppose I would have let him buy me something. That's what he really wanted to do.

If you do something nice for someone who has just helped you out is that considered playing forward or paying it back? I don't usually look for pay backs in situations like that.

when I come across a situation like that I figure I am paying it back........making up for all the dumbass disrespectful things I did when I was a kid 

Yup, I kinda feel the same way. Hindsight being what it is, that guy reminded me of my dh. Especially afterwards when he came out to the car and talked to me. It's funny how something like that happens so quickly. At the time, I just reacted, almost knee jerk. It's interesting now to look back and think about it.

no what I meant about hoping he plays it forward is that the good continues to go and go and never stop.

not that you did it for that reason..didn't mean that..but that those people will be so blessed that they want to walk away and bless someone else..and that someone will bless others and eventually everyone blesses someone else..soon the world would be a better place..

did you ever see the movie "play it forward"?

that was the premise of the movie.

i saw on the news one day where some teacher gave each of his students a stack of money and told them to go give ..each of them..$2 to 10 different people..$20 each student..they did..and then it passed on where the people that they gave money to began to do the same thing..it ended up making the news cause everyone was helping everyone in that little college area..

i've done similar things..myself..walked up to a woman with children in a McDonalds and handed her $100 bucks..she didn't want to take it..i just walked away..

My entire life has been based on giving to people..and I think that it does tend to extend beyond those that you give to..as they see it and give as well.

Okay, now I have an understanding of what "play it forward" means. I didn't see the movie, but I've heard the phrase. There are different ways of looking at the situation, that's for sure. Had it been different...had the guy been a jerk, acting up, causing problems for the cashier, etc. I would have given him a WIDE berth, never stopped and walked much faster! That's for sure! Sometimes, it's just safer to not get involved.

You sound like a really generous person, Brenda! 

just doing how i was taught..