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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

A New and Different Kind of Free Lunch

Today, exbf picked me up and took me to the bank, WM, and Publix. Since I only slept one hour last night, I was in no condition to drive. Plus, we picked up J and took her on one brief stop.

I had planned lunch OUT. I got a coupon for $10 worth of Dairy Queen--four chicken fingers, fries, and a Coke, all for two people, so two of these meals. I paid $6 for two meals. We got to our new DQ  about 11:30. He pulled up to the door, and I got out to park his vehicle and walk in. This just kills my back and knees, but he struggles to walk at all.

As I got inside, I realized I had not gotten out the coupon. I was discussing this as I dug in my wallet. All of a sudden, a man limping badly that had barely preceded us in the door, spoke up. He told the person at the register and us that he wanted to buy our lunch. We were both just stunned. I shoved the coupon back into my wallet!

I asked him, "Why?" He said that he just wanted to bless us. I was still stunned. He told me to order whatever I wanted. I am not sure why I ordered a burger and fries. Exbf just got a burger and we both wanted drinks. Then, it occurred to me I did not want a burger since I had a day planned that did not include bathroom stops every five minutes. So, I got four chicken fingers. Since I never eat at DQ, I ordered fries, not realizing the fingers came with fries.

The man kept telling me all this time to order dessert, too, if we wanted it. Since I did not to eat ice cream this day, I declared that was really all I wanted, and it was all I wanted. We thanked him profusely and many times. I told him no one had ever paid for my meal!

As he left, he spoke again, and we thanked him again! Now, I still have my coupon for $6 for two meals.

I am still amazed. Someday, I will pay this forward as he said he was doing.

Your turn
Have you ever had a complete stranger pay for your meal or anything?

12 comments:

  1. I have both had a stranger pay and paid for strangers.

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    1. I have been thinking about this and remember with regret one instance when I did not act. Years ago on Christmas Eve I remembered I had bought no stocking stuffers. Even though everyone was well beyond the Santa years, I still made a last minute trip to Dollar General (the only store still open) because to this day everyone has a toy of some sort in their stocking and I knew they had toys.
      There was a young woman in the store doing her Christmas shopping and she was at the register in front of me. When she was checking out she obviously did not have enough money to cover her purchases and had to put some things back. I was not paying attention at the time and was only thinking about our Christmas Eve dinner at Mom's when I really should have been in touch with what was going on and paid for her items. My lack of action has haunted me since then.

      Delete
    2. Anne,
      That hurts me just now hearing of it. I did pay for the groceries of two local people, a couple I knew to be cognitively impaired, retarded in the old vernacular. That would have been a wonderful thing for you to do.

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  2. What a lovely gesture. I have heard of it, but haven't experienced it.

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    1. EC,
      Yes, lovely indeed. Well, now I have experienced receiving the gesture. Amazing.

      Delete
  3. How nice! When my DD worked at a restaurant she said it happened every so often that someone would pay for someone else, but usually it was anonymous. I've had someone turn around in line at a coffee shop and tell me to order what I wanted, it was paid for. I've also pulled up to a drive thru (Taco Time) and be told the people in front of me paid for my order, so I said ok, then use my money to pay for the order behind me.

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    1. One,
      This is more commonplace for you! One question--how can you pay for the person behind you in a drive-through? You are gone and so is your wallet or cc.

      Delete
  4. Lovely. One of my fall goals will be to do secret acts of kindness and I was thinking I would begin by paying for the person behind me in like at my weekly Starbuck run!

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    1. Barbara,
      "In like" I understand. I wondered what would happen if the person ordered lots of stuff just because it was free.

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  5. That is awesome! I have never had that happen to me, although I have paid for the next order in line behind me in the drive through a couple of times.

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    Replies
    1. Rachel,
      Good for you. Maybe someone will pay for you sometime. How did you pay once you left the drive through window?

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.