Where I sit at my computer in my palatial office (ha, ha) I can see out my window at a nice green lawn with a path leading to our front door. It gives me a heads up as to whether I want to answer the door for whoever is approaching. I’m not saying I’m selective about who I answer for but there are some I would just as soon not spend time chatting with.
On this past Saturday afternoon a young boy in a red tee shirt came up the walk way. I happened to notice that at that same moment there was another boy in a red tee shirt approaching the house across the street. Living in an area with lots of kids I am always up to hearing what they have to say. I opened the door to a 10 year old clone of Justin Bieber. He explained that his little league team was having a jog-a-thon to raise money for uniforms. Would I be interested in pledging so much per lap to help them out?
I am a sucker for helping kids. I have, at one time or another had a subscription to every magazine ever published since the printing press was invented. I have eaten so many Girl Scout cookies I look like a mint cookie. I have pledged enough money per lap to a kid who looks scrawny and pale yet up and runs 8,000 laps that I found myself writing a check big enough to make a down payment on his first car. I also have enough wrapping paper to wrap the planet earth. So don’t think I am anti kids.
We live around the corner from a grammar school so throughout the year kid visitors are common. So my question to him is “Do you live around here?” I asked because I have enough trouble staying afloat financially without extending myself beyond our neighborhood. JB’s eyes flickered for an instant and then he said “No, I live in Tustin”. I then explained that as much as I would like to help I just do my part for the local kids. He thanked me anyway and left to work his way up the block.
I sat back down at my computer and started thinking. I knew that in the moment his eyes flashed he was thinking to himself that if I say I live here he will help me. Knowing full well his odds were not good if he told the truth, he still told the truth. This I admired and wanted to tell him so. I walked outside, looked down the block and could not see him. I began walking up and down every nearby block to see if I could find him. No luck. Feeling bad that I was not able to acknowledge his honesty to his face I began walking home.
Being a rare sunny and warm mid-winter day, some young girls had set up a lemonade stand on a street corner. The 4 girls working the stand were 7-9 years old and looked like the cast of the Brady bunch. Being someone who greatly admires entrepreneurial spirit I have never, ever passed a lemonade stand without stopping.
As I approached they asked if I would like to buy some orange juice. They explained that they could not find any lemons so they used oranges. I was terribly embarrassed as I declined, explaining that I had left home without a penny and could not pay them. One of the girls with blond pig tails said “That’s OK, you don’t have to pay us we’ve made enough money already”. Despite my protest they poured some fresh squeezed OJ out of a big pitcher and handed it to me.
I gave them a quick lesson in Economic 101 as I explained that they had worked hard all day, had certain expenses to cover and would be taking a hit to their profit if they gave a glass to me without getting paid. They weren’t buying it. As a last resort I pointed toward my house and said “That’s where I live. The next time one of you come by, knock on my door and I will pay you what I owe you”. Still no luck. As I walked away one of them said “Thanks for dropping by”.
I walked home feeling good about the future of our country. There are plenty of good kids around.
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