Some more Why Files

[Ninurta]

I recall back in the 1990's, probably in late '97 or early '98, I used to do what we called "roving patrols" - I'd put on my uniform, get in my car, and roam around aimlessly all night, staying mobile, until I got a call to go wherever I was needed the most.

There was a little diner on route 220 North, just outside of Greensboro, NC heading towards Summerfield, NC, where I would often stop for a bite to eat or a cup of coffee. One night, around 3 in the morning, I stopped there for a cup of coffee, and that's all I got - just a dollar and a quarter cup of coffee and a few minutes to sit inside where it was warm.

My waitress that night was a new gal. She'd only been there about a week, but she knew what she was doing. Kept my cup full and hot, without having to be prodded for a warmup - she'd just magically appear with a coffee pot and top it off, unbidden. So I just sat there in my uniform, drinking coffee to warm my innards until they were warm enough to get back out on the road.

I was making around 8 bucks an hour at the time, which really wasn't bad for what I was doing. When I left the diner, I just piled the dollar and quarter on top of the check, and left a 20 dollar tip beside that, and walked out the door. That gal had worked her ass off over a dinky little cup of coffee, and I just wanted her to realize it was appreciated.

When I was getting into my car, I looked up and she was holding that 20 dollar bill and freaking out, waving all the other waitresses over to see. I didn't realize it was going to create that big of a stir.

I just smiled, got into my car, and drove off into the night to resume my roving patrol, before someone got the bright idea to chase out the door and make a damned fuss over it.

What you do for other folks might not make much difference to you at the time, but it might make a world of difference to them, and that's what matters in the end.

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