Receiving Something for "Nothing"

We receive much more than we can ever give back, "for nothing."

In our apartment with mom and brother Stephen, the big pot of tapioca pudding on the stove, once chilled was my favorite dessert - free. The school lunches mom use to make - all free. The clothes I had to wear, all free. Everything growing up "free" until age 15 when I sold magazines door-to-door all over Central Jersey, and then the things I bought - only for myself - meant much more. 

An hour ago, 5:48 am at the squawk box at the new Dunkin Donuts just a mile from my house, I said, "Good morning my friend," replying to her sweet voice asking for my order. "Oh, good morning to you ... please pull up." And I knew, that she knew, my order by heart -- and it's such a good feeling being known by just the sound of my voice.

I pull up holding out my DD card, and she holds out my medium half-decaf, half-regular ... but doesn't take my card. "That's free, for you, my customer," she says. And of course I say "Oh no, Oh thanks so much!" and pull away saying aloud, "You've got to be kidding. How nice!"

Many things are free and go unappreciated, then there's the things we appreciate. 

This is not the first free thing she's given me! And completely unasked. Yesterday, for Sunday School when I ordered 50 munchkins for the kids, my girlfriend asked, "You? Why munchkins?" And I told her and she said, "How nice, that'll be half price." So I left the 5 dollars as part tip too. And again I couldn't believe how nice that was.

And now I had yet another reason for liking my Egyptian-American friends at this Dunkin, and others, even more.

And I think of other things we get "for free," like my Catholic grammar school, Ewing High, and even my California junior college education -- for free. In those years never realizing at all it was my parents property taxes paying for it all, and the property taxes of thousands of other homeowners. And I shudder now as an adult to wonder how my parents paid for that, and food, and clothing, and Christmas and birthday presents, and everything I and my brothers and sister, and themselves, had need of.

And now, paying property taxes for schools, and sales taxes for social programs, and gasoline taxes for highways and others, I see that everything that exists for me, for my family's ease and comfort was mostly paid for by others, by society, and can't help but think, At least I can do my part also. 

At least in my old State employment days, walking Trenton streets back from lunch, I didn't begrudge the beggar a dollar or two, or fail to pick trash up off the sidewalk in front of my next step to throw in a nearby trash can. Or how Janet and I pay attention to the political issues and those running for office and vote in every election. And thank God we could afford to send our kids to college for their degrees, and so much else.

Free? Earning goodwill, and peace and security in Hamilton where I live and in America in the world, is not free. All it takes is all of us doing our part, being nice to all others, caring a little bit or a lot, and helping where we can.  Not difficult.

As JFK once spoke, "... and so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." 

You go John, go.

Sorry, that's my pontification for today ....
Best, Rod

Copyright 2014 Rodney Richarfds