Small acts of generosity
Six years ago, I crossed from Arizona into New Mexico. This was great! I couldn’t wait to explore a new state.
Stopping into the only thing open for miles around — Phantom Fireworks in Road Forks, NM— I found that they didn’t sell water. This was NOT great, as it had been 19 miles since I last filled my bottles, and the next patch of civilization wouldn’t be for another 15.
I asked an employee if I could fill up in the bathroom. But the woman surprised me by telling me to hold on. She disappeared into a side room and came back with two bottles of water: one cool, and the other frozen cold (for later, she said). They were reserved for employees, but she wanted me to have them. When I tried to pay her, she refused.
I was so touched by her small act of kindness. Not needing any fireworks, there was nothing I could do to support them. Instead, I simply offered my heartfelt thanks.
A few days ago, I gave my first book reading. As the Zoom session started, I watched people pour in — from New Mexico, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maine, Germany, South Korea! This was amazing! After the talk and the readings, a lot of people asked thoughtful questions that took us beyond the end of the session. Afterwards, I received messages of support and affirmation from some of the participants.
Writing can be a solitary endeavor. I was used to writing shorter articles that came out in a reasonable amount of time, but never a 90,000-word manuscript over several years! It was such a small thing for people to offer their time for that hour, maybe engage by asking a question at the end, but it felt so good to be able to share with them the celebration of launching this thing into the world.
I’m not sure that the woman in the fireworks store knew how much her gesture meant to me, just as I’m not sure that the reading attendees the other day knew how much their presence did. I’m grateful for both, no matter how small they may be in the great scheme of things.
How about you? What’s a relatively small act of generosity that someone offered you that affected you in some way? I want to get inspired from it. Share it with me, and the world, on our Facebook page:
