Sallyacious

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May 15, 2006

Walking and Orange Juice

Because it's nice weather and Moscow is a very, very small town, and because we both have the time, Dave and I have begun walking places when we can. Tonight we walked to dinner at the Mexican restaurant downtown (where I had one too many margaritas).

On the way, we ran into a young lady with an orange juice stand. Dave's immediate reaction was to avoid the young lady and her burgeoning capitalism, not wishing to deal with childish orange juice and dirty fingers. I, on the other hand, remembered all too clearly how I never sold a drop of Kool-Aid to my neighbors when I had a stand of my own at about the same age. And how much that hurt. So even though we had turned at the corner and were halfway down the block, I decided that the young stand owner needed to be validated.

I turned around and headed back to her.

You should have seen the way her whole being lighted up when she realized she might have a customer. She sat up straighter, she got more energetic; she was so excited. And then she realized that I might just be planning on walking past. She slumped in her seat. She put up her guard against the pain of my rejection.

And then I stopped and asked how much the orange juice was.

Ten cents.

I searched my pockets. No change. Only bills. I said, "Well, then, I'm just going to have to tip you really well."

I paid her a dollar for 1/3 dixie cup of weak orange juice. But as Dave and I headed around the corner, we heard her running into the house yelling to her mom that somebody had bought her juice. And given her a dollar for it.

Who knows if she'll remember that in ten years. Or ever. She certainly will have no idea of the reasons for my return. But maybe, just maybe, I've planted a seed of confidence that will blossom unexpectedly when she most needs it. In a couple of years when she hits jr. high, for instance.

Posted by sally at May 15, 2006 06:42 PM

Comments

Posted by: Andrea Davis at May 16, 2006 10:22 AM

Posted by: Sallyacious at May 16, 2006 08:55 PM

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