Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Cans and kindness

THERE'S AN OLDER woman who lives in Calftown who walks. A lot. She is often downtown and she likes to stop at the store to say hello to Fast Eddie and the dogs. She's very polite and we like her.

We first met her when the store was at 8th and Washington and got to know her husband as well. They were an interesting couple. This woman struggles to get by every month. It's not something she talks a lot about, but you can tell it's tough. Her husband died a few years ago and I think she is on disability.

I see her looking in the trash bins looking for aluminum cans. After we have a store party, she'll stop by to see if she can have all the empty cans. Why not? They'll just end up at the recycle place anyway, and she can certainly use the few dollars they bring. Sheryl told her last week we would have a bunch and that we could bring them by her house. The plan was set.

Of course a LOT of beverages were consumed this past weekend, per usual during a Second String Music store party. Sheryl gathered up all the cans Monday morning and put them in a big bag and said it was for our friend.

Sheryl had her address but thought it was on the alley, not on the street side. So we kept driving, and we saw the woman sitting by the gas station at Eighth and York. It was raining and she looked a bit cold.

We stopped at the gas station, and Sheryl told her we had a bunch of cans for her. She looked at the car and said, "Well I was headed home, let me show you the way." They proceeded to load her and her gear into the car. It was only 5 or 6 blocks and now we know exactly which house to put our bags of cans when we get a ton. Luckily, the recycle place is only two blocks from her house. She was over the moon happy and grateful.

You know, it's the little things. Was this any big deal for us? No. Hell no! Sheryl, of course, had a good point when she said it took me out of my comfort zone, and that's very true, but in the end it made us feel like we had accomplished something on this rainy day.

They say it's better to give than receive. Maybe we all should hit 'em with a little kindness once in awhile. I know I need to do that more often.

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