Nice Person / Conversation

Never know who you’ll meet

Photo by Tai L on Unsplash, Edited by Matt Murray

This took place Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

It was a blustery morning, even at 3:45 a.m. I was on my way in to work. The wind was whipping the trees. The branches were flowing every which way, with most of them blowing to the south. I had never seen anything like it this early in the morning. It had been raining off and on during the night. Luckily for me, it wasn’t raining right now.

Today, I left work at 1 pm. On this day, I had to go to the grocery store. The grocery store is only 2.8 miles from work. I take the main road, turning onto a new section of roadway that has been created for further development. I’m usually so fast in the store that I get home around 2 pm. Today, it was raining when I left. As soon as I got in the car at work, it was sprinkling on the windshield. I said to myself out loud, “Just great! I’m going to get wet.”

Once I got to Walmart, I decided not to take an umbrella in. I wouldn’t melt. I did that once and it wasn’t pretty on the way out. It was a blustery day with winds in the 30 to 40 mph range. That day, I could hardly keep the umbrella steady and over me as it whipped out of my hand, while I tried to push the cart. Then when I got to the car, I had to ditch the umbrella and get wet.

This time, it was just sprinkling when I went in the store. But as everyone knows it can change in an instant in Florida. It can be raining across the street but not where you are. I was hoping and praying that when I came out it wasn’t raining harder. As I approached the double doors, it looked like it was clear. Once I exited the store, I noticed that it had picked up a bit. But it was not raining real hard. I walked as fast as I could to the car. I grabbed the bags and put them in the trunk. A few minutes later, I was back in the car after taking the cart back to the cart return.

It rained all the way home. It’s only 5.9 miles and 13 minutes to get back home.

As I came down my street at the condo, I saw a UPS truck sitting in front of the building. I was hoping it was not blocking the up-front spaces. I was able to get into one of the spaces. I parked under the tree on the left-side. I like this space and the other one because when I have to leave early in the morning, it gives me quick access to the car.

I usually get in the trunk and get the cart out to put the groceries in this bag and roll it into the elevator to take it up to my condo. Today, I didn’t have the cart with me. It was in my place. I hadn’t had a chance to take it down to the car.

When you’re leaving at 3:45 a.m., I don’t want to take it down with me. Ever since they built an apartment complex within our condo complex, there have been some unsavory characters walking around. And you don’t know who you might encounter at that time of the morning. I do see a woman who walks her two dogs that early. She and her husband usually leave for work at 4 a.m. They work for the Space program.

As I got out of the car, I was carrying my apron and a drink that I got from work. I stepped into the elevator. I heard someone approaching the elevator as the door was closing. Right before it would have connected to send me up to my floor, the button from the outside was pressed and the door opened.

“Oh, sorry,” a man dressed in a UPS uniform said.

“That’s okay,” I said.

He saw that I had pushed the button for the third floor. He told me “perfect”.

He was wearing a brown vest that said “Seasonal Helper”. He appeared to be in his twenties. He had short brown hair. He was carrying a medium-sized white box. It said that it was perishable. Obviously, it was food.

I said to him, “Didn’t care to take the stairs?”

“No. With all the walking and stairs we do, I take advantage of an elevator every chance I get.”

As the door opened, he wished me a good rest of my day. I told him the same thing. He ventured down my way and delivered his box.

Once I entered my condo, I watched to see if he came down the stairs or the elevator. Of course, he took the elevator.

Conclusion

With the tough work I do and some workers that are impolite, it was pleasing to talk to a nice person who was considerate. There are still nice people out there that you encounter.

I didn’t consider writing this until I read

Holly Rabalais

recent newsletter called “Look for the Good”, where she talks about things that happened that wouldn’t have happened if things had gone the way they were supposed to.

That was exactly the same thing with my case. Usually, I have the cart with me. So if I had had the cart, this conversation wouldn’t have taken place.

It’s funny that Holly’s newsletter dropped on the same day that I had my experience.

Until next time, happy reading!

-Matt

As a side note: keep watching Notes. I may be posting about artwork I’ve been working on. Eventually, I’ll be talking about it on my newsletter as well.

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