A few weeks into the New Year, I added some new things to my weekly routine. New Year’s Resolution-ish, I guess. But I’m not ready to label it that. For me, the thought of calling anything I do part of a New Year’s Resolution makes me mentally set the clock for its inevitable failure. So, this is just a little thing I’m doing.
The task at hand is a random act of kindness every week. My thinking is that we could use more positive energy in the world these days. I figured if not me, then who? Should I wait for the elves to do it? Probably not.
This week, I thought it would be neat to give a scratch-off lottery ticket to a total stranger. I’ll be choosing something different next week. Because the therapist in me can’t shake the fear that I may have unwittingly handed someone with a gambling problem a scratch-off ticket. I digress.
For optimum randomness, I chose a place that I don’t usually go, a coffee shop on the local highway.
I was on the way home from my office. It was late, dark, and I was very tired.
I went into a convenience store, bought the scratch-off and got back into my car. As I backed up to drive out of the parking lot, a car cut me off, forcing me to slam on my brakes.
My car jerked to a stop so abruptly that the scratch-off ticket slid off the dashboard, and my purse dumped out onto the floor of my car. I was mad – and as I was about to launch into a monologue about what an idiot the guy in front of me was, I remembered what I was in the middle of doing.
I’m pretty sure when you google random act of kindness, getting a solid rant out in the middle of the task is nowhere to be found.
I giggled to myself. I’m pretty sure it was the exact same giggle I let out when I found myself drifting and making grocery lists in my mindfulness workshop. I let it go.
I drove away and delivered the scratch-off ticket to the unsuspecting person who smiled with surprise.
Mission accomplished.
