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Oct. 8th, 2007 10:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoweeFrom time to time, I'm prone to be irritated by chain emails. This is one of those posts.
Return is Requested....You'll see why!
Why do they do this? The sender has already SEEN IT! I often secretly hope that if I don't return them, the sender will catch on that I don't like getting chain email.
Breakfast at McDonald's
Some of you probably know this email already, but bear with me.
This is a good story, please read it all the way through until the end.
See, now that's rudeness you would never say to a person in real life, imo. Don't tell me I have to read to the end. If you wrote it well enough, I'll want to.
(After the story, there are some very interesting facts):
Which I have cut out because it's one of those inspiration quote sections (like I really care to read through a dozen lame quotes that say the exact same thing as every other inspiration cliche out there!?) and "make a wish!" Both of which are so damned dumb I don't know why they get passed and passed and added to and passed!
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my
college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every
human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their
reactions.
I'm bored. Move on with it! I believe last time I read this, it was a high school project and the girl was there with her mom. Interesting how they try to get "smarter" as time goes on.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
How can that be literal?
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I
went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
{snore} Wow. I just came out of my coma.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden
everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside
of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there
standing behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman , close to me, he was 'smiling'.
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for
acceptance.
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I
realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman
was his salvation.
Well, it's a good thing the one had beautiful eyes and the other was mentally challenged. Otherwise they might not be worthy of her generosity.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If
they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy
something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out
and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging
my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a
resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed
gentle man's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you.
God is here working through me to give you hope.'
Because we can't do something good just to feel good about ourselves or because we see the need. Only God can inspire us to be kind to others.
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me,
Honey, to give me hope.'
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of
the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.
I gotta ask, if they're so willing to jump to God's conclusions, why aren't they churchgoers? Lazy? I stopped going because I became more aware of my beliefs and didn't want to attend, pretend, be a liar. I am not condoning the religious types, but I sort of feel like you should be honest about it. If you believe it's all God, miracles, and magic, then you should own up to it and go to church.
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I feel ill...
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in
hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
Nodding slowly indicates humility. Sending it out in mass email and telling others to pass it on negates that. (Of course, I realize the fact that we'll never know what parts of this are truth or fiction, but you see what I'm saying.)
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and
being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor,
and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
As long as they have beautiful eyes or a some sort of disability.
And I cut the rest.
Now, the reason this particular one gets to me, I think, is that I have heard a similar story. A man went to McDonald's (yes, McDonald's seems to be the place to go) with his friend. A homeless man stood before them counting change. Realizing he didn't have enough for a cheeseburger, he took it off his order and had just coffee himself. Well, while counting the change, the man's friend said something rude about the homeless man and then about him taking too long. After the homeless man had his coffee, the first man touched his arm and said "Let me buy you a meal. Would that be okay?" The homeless man teared up and nodded. The man bought him a meal and the man's friend rolled his eyes.
The friend is no longer in the man's life. The man has only told the story to a very few people. Yes, I am one. It's one of the reasons I married him. He has done a lot of good things like that, grasping opportunities I don't even notice and he doesn't ask for praise, nor does he give God credit. He just does it because it seems like the thing to do.
I realize I'm no better than this woman by telling his story, but I've read the email so many times and today I just couldn't take it anymore. You're a limited group, though, so you don't mind me expressing my distaste even though in general she did a good deed, right? I hope not...
Return is Requested....You'll see why!
Why do they do this? The sender has already SEEN IT! I often secretly hope that if I don't return them, the sender will catch on that I don't like getting chain email.
Breakfast at McDonald's
Some of you probably know this email already, but bear with me.
This is a good story, please read it all the way through until the end.
See, now that's rudeness you would never say to a person in real life, imo. Don't tell me I have to read to the end. If you wrote it well enough, I'll want to.
(After the story, there are some very interesting facts):
Which I have cut out because it's one of those inspiration quote sections (like I really care to read through a dozen lame quotes that say the exact same thing as every other inspiration cliche out there!?) and "make a wish!" Both of which are so damned dumb I don't know why they get passed and passed and added to and passed!
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my
college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.
The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every
human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their
reactions.
I'm bored. Move on with it! I believe last time I read this, it was a high school project and the girl was there with her mom. Interesting how they try to get "smarter" as time goes on.
I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.
How can that be literal?
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I
went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.
It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.
{snore} Wow. I just came out of my coma.
We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden
everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.
I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside
of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there
standing behind me were two poor homeless men.
As I looked down at the short gentleman , close to me, he was 'smiling'.
His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for
acceptance.
He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I
realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman
was his salvation.
Well, it's a good thing the one had beautiful eyes and the other was mentally challenged. Otherwise they might not be worthy of her generosity.
I held my tears as I stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.
He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If
they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy
something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out
and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.
That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging
my every action.
I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more
breakfast meals on a separate tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a
resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed
gentle man's cold hand.
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'
I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you.
God is here working through me to give you hope.'
Because we can't do something good just to feel good about ourselves or because we see the need. Only God can inspire us to be kind to others.
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me,
Honey, to give me hope.'
We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of
the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.
We are not church goers, but we are believers.
I gotta ask, if they're so willing to jump to God's conclusions, why aren't they churchgoers? Lazy? I stopped going because I became more aware of my beliefs and didn't want to attend, pretend, be a liar. I am not condoning the religious types, but I sort of feel like you should be honest about it. If you believe it's all God, miracles, and magic, then you should own up to it and go to church.
That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.
I feel ill...
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in
hand.
I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.
Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'
I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.
Nodding slowly indicates humility. Sending it out in mass email and telling others to pass it on negates that. (Of course, I realize the fact that we'll never know what parts of this are truth or fiction, but you see what I'm saying.)
She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and
being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.
In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor,
and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.
I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
As long as they have beautiful eyes or a some sort of disability.
And I cut the rest.
Now, the reason this particular one gets to me, I think, is that I have heard a similar story. A man went to McDonald's (yes, McDonald's seems to be the place to go) with his friend. A homeless man stood before them counting change. Realizing he didn't have enough for a cheeseburger, he took it off his order and had just coffee himself. Well, while counting the change, the man's friend said something rude about the homeless man and then about him taking too long. After the homeless man had his coffee, the first man touched his arm and said "Let me buy you a meal. Would that be okay?" The homeless man teared up and nodded. The man bought him a meal and the man's friend rolled his eyes.
The friend is no longer in the man's life. The man has only told the story to a very few people. Yes, I am one. It's one of the reasons I married him. He has done a lot of good things like that, grasping opportunities I don't even notice and he doesn't ask for praise, nor does he give God credit. He just does it because it seems like the thing to do.
I realize I'm no better than this woman by telling his story, but I've read the email so many times and today I just couldn't take it anymore. You're a limited group, though, so you don't mind me expressing my distaste even though in general she did a good deed, right? I hope not...
