Marrying George Clooney

i experienced a little wonderful miracle in the midst of a totally ordinary day. and by ordinary, i mean… going to a mall.

the rockaway mall.  i had MY computer – my MAC BOOK – repaired. for the record, i LOVE  with a capitol L anyone and everyone associated with MAC/APPLE stores. they make me swoon. truly. so, while waiting for my computer, i had a few hours to kill, but kill i did not.

being a “former big time, major gotta have it consumer,” i wandered around the mall, wondering, really truly wondering, WHY DO FOLKS NEED SO MUCH? I know, I get the whole shop til you drop thing, i do, but now… with the economy, and folks out of work, i’m wagering each of one of us, or most of us have enough stuff to last a lifetime, or at least until we no longer recognize what’s in our closet. Seriously? No shit, I have boots  & shoes & clothes that are in tip top shape, hardly ever worn, or maybe, come to think of it … NEVER WORN. you know, the i have to have this NOW. clothing, shoes. now. right now. now. Shoes that are perfect; dresses, slacks that may need a bit of ironing, but mostly, truthfully, honest to god, i need for nothing.

Nothing. And yet, yet… folks who really need for nothing, keep on buying.

Why DO WE ALL NEED so much? seriously? Most every store had a 25 to 50 to 60% off everything sale sign in the window and so it was a giant carrot dangling. and so, the buying… buy. buy. buy.  buy. I DID NOT BUY. no buy-buy.

You don’t have to answer now, but please, ponder… think… re-ask yourself, remind yourself … go back.. again & again. do i need this? really?

i digress.

In any event, I get my computer fixed, all is good, I bow to the APPLE/MAC gods, I wish them well and I leave. I believe each one will experience a miracle over the holidays. I can see it, feel it… touch it. I can. A miracle in the making.

I leave the mall. the crowded parking lot is a sight to behold; for as far as the eye can see, not an empty space. cars, circling, waiting, circling … praying, hoping… someone is driving around in circles and is about to give up, and i am about to give them a much needed deep exhale of a breath. OH YES THANK YOU THANK YOU PARKING LOT GOD, i can hear it. i can hear that prayer. been there. prayed for that.

I head up Rte 15, in need of  gas, some water and i’m thinking: CAR WASH. A lucky day for my Mazda.

i pull into the station, ask the attendant to fill ‘er up and go into Dunkin Donuts where the sweet wonderful young man/sales clerk thinks I’m … homeless. i can tell, he does. I am disheveled, carrying my computer in a somewhat tattered bag, my hair is a dippy do mess, i am dressed in casual hippie garb. i look at the donuts, nah, i look at the fake cappuccino machine, double nah, i ponder, then i ask for a hot water with lemon. This startles him. “you sure you don’t want a coffee?” no, thank you. He looks again, trying to make eye contact. I say, no thank you, i would just love some hot water and some lemon juice, if you don’t have a wedge. He bends down to get the lemon packet, looks up at me one more time, mouths: YOU SURE YOU DON’T WANT A COFFEE? I smile and say, No, no thank you.

i try to hand him a tip: 50 cents. and he smiles, this gorgeous smile and says,”i don’t need it. thank you though.”

I take my water and lemon, and go out and have my car washed.

i break a twenty dollar bill.

i go back inside, and i hand the young man a five dollar bill. i thank him profusely for his kindness & generosity & sweetness.

he is taken aback.

i tell him how I appreciate his lovely spirit – it made ME feel so good.

between the MAC/APPLE guys and this guy – I FEEL THE GOODNESS. i feel the humanity. we need more of that. it’s contagious.

he smiles.

He folds and tucks the five in his breast pocket. Nice, neat, close by.

He, this young man, is the reason that this franchise has a framed plaque on their wall praising their loyal, generous, courteous, staff from the CEO of dunkin donuts.

it’s the little guys, the ones’ that barely, barely … get noticed, that make the big guys look like (and earn) a million bucks.

here’s to our working class heroes.