By Chris Williams
Today’s “The Drive Home” is called “They didn’t have to do that” and it’s all about reminding ourselves of the little things people and their dogs do above and beyond their obligatory human and dog requirements to make mine, your, and all of our lives just a little bit better.
I was driving to work last week and there was a car in front of me driving really slowly. I think they were tourists or from Port or drunk or something, but when they came to a place they could pull over and let me pass, they did. They didn’t have to do that, but they did. Thanks!
Last Friday I was buying some kale and herbal tea at the Crow’s Nest Country Store and when I paid for my stuff, the person working behind the counter offered to put my groceries into a bag for me. They didn’t have to do that, but they did. Thanks!
My heart really hurt last week so I went in to see the doctor who told me I should lay off the cigarettes and black coffee. He also said I was a cancer risk. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. Thanks!
My mechanic fixed my flat tire for me and when I went to pay, he had a big ‘ol booger on his hand. Before we interacted he wiped that big ‘ol booger off of his hand. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. Thanks!
I was walking through the forest with my friend and her dog when we came across a big pile of dog scat. My friend’s dog ate it all up before I stepped in it. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. Thanks lil’ doggy!
I went to the bank to take out some money. There was a long lineup and people were getting really agitated and were starting to get grumpy. One of the people in line let out a big fart and half the people left making the line move faster. That person didn’t have to do that, but they did. Thanks!
When I was in Vancouver last month, a person confronted me trying to sell me some crack cocaine. They were obviously struggling with life and through the time-tested tradition of trade and commerce they were trying to get their lives in order. When I told the person that I was not interested in the product, they didn’t beat me up and leave me for dead on the side of the road. They didn’t have to do that, but they did. Thanks!
I was at the beach the other day watching waves crashing on the shore. It was beautiful and the wind was whipping the spray from the waves into glittering rainbows contrasted against a crisp azure sky. I had prepared a lunch for my friend Pitler and me to enjoy, and I had some hot herbal tea in a Thermos waiting to warm our kindred souls.
When I opened the Thermos, I dropped it and I got some sand in the pouring mechanism. In an attempt to get the sand out of the Thermos, I dropped the two devilled-egg sandwiches I had prepared in the sand — egg side down — and made a complete mess. I had spent a lot of time preparing the picnic and felt terrible I had wrecked it. But Pitler never showed up because he has a job and this was the middle of the week, sparing me the embarrassment of offering him a sandy egg sandwich and herbal tea. He didn’t have to get that job, but he did. Thanks!
“Remember all the good deeds in the world.” – Chris Williams
