Saturday, May 14, 2011

#3 - Give a lottery ticket to a stranger


This wasn't as easy as it seemed I assure you. First of all, it's so mundane, that I actually kept forgetting to do it. Then there's the talking to a complete stranger aspect of it... it gives me anxiety just thinking about it!

Anyways, last night I'm paying for my gas (we can talk about how Wall Street and the oil companies are raping us with their gas prices another day) and it strikes me - "I can actually cross something off my list right now!" So, I get 2 lottery tickets. And as I'm walking away from the register, I notice the lady behind me is this sweet middle-aged indian woman, a plain Jane (in the nicest way possible), just another person in the line - the perfect recipient.
So I muster up all my courage (because I know I'm about to look crazy) and I say "This is going to sound crazy... but here, this is for you and I hope you win." She looks at me like I'm crazy - of course... and I walked out... what a rush! I don't know if it was the good deed or the fact that everyone was looking at me like I had 8 eyes, but I felt great! Like, what if she wins!?!? I could've just paid her kids university tuition, or helped out with the household expenses or paid for her daughters wedding! I felt sooooo good.
Before I could drive off though, she ran out of the gas station and up to my car to ask me how she could contact me if she wins. I told her I didn't want her to contact me, I just wanted her to do something good for someone else if she won, and she told me I was the nicest person she ever met... So that felt nice. She got into her mini-van and I noticed the young children inside, and at that point I really truly prayed that she was holding the winning ticket.
Anyways, if she does win... that's amazing... really, really amazing. And I hope that she pays it forward and does something nice for someone else. I can only hope that that small gesture has some type of impact on hers or someone else's life - profound or not, some type of impact would be nice. The idea that I could've started a chain reaction of good deeds and selfless acts really makes me smile. The only thing I regret is... not getting the Extra. I don't even want to think about it. I cheaped out on the extra dollar and could have potentially cost her millions of dollars... Oh how I hope that's not the case! I would hate for my momentary lapse in judgement (a.k.a. my cheap-ness) to result in her missing out on a life-changing event.
Anyways, aside from the personal satisfaction I gained from actually doing it, crossing it off the list is just as satisfying, so here it goes... #3 "Give a lottery ticket to a complete stranger (and don't check the numbers)


'Til next time my little misfits... behave and be safe! xoxo