So, I’ve had a string of bad luck over the past couple of
months ( really since I’ve moved to Atlanta in January). They say when it rains it pours, and they
(whoever they are) weren’t kidding…
AT ALL. It seemed like, if it could go
wrong, it would go wrong. From car
troubles, to housing mishaps, to my boss stealing from me…you name it, it
happened. After five months of this
daily dose of bad luck, I finally found something to get excited about. I’m not saying that nothing good ever
happened, or I was completely miserable for three months, because I wasn’t. I
am a “silver lining, everything happens for a reason, eternal optimism” kind of
girl. However, it gets to a point for
anyone, when you just have to say “WHAT DID I DO WRONG IN THIS WORLD?! I
recycle, when I consciously think about it. I brake for animals and small
children. I even think about
volunteering sometimes. Aaaannnyways, I
had a trip planned to see my boyfriend, Justin, who I hadn’t seen in over a
month (long distance, blah) and I couldn’t have been more excited. I’d
literally tell complete strangers that I was going to Wilmington, NC to see my
boyfriend. I’d get blank stares or confused looks in response, but I didn’t
care…soon I would see Justin’s face and be able to kiss it and all that other
mushy gushy love stuff no one wants to hear about. I made a reservation for a rental car
(because as I stated earlier, car troubles were one of my many misfortunes
since moving to Hotlanta) and made sure I had unlimited miles and my insurance
covered my car. I was stoked. I found a
car on priceline for $17/day with
everything I needed. On the day of my
impending road trip I went to work, hurried through the day without thinking
about much else (probably why I made little to nothing in tips…hmmmm) and then took the train to the airport to
pick up my car. I got about 90% of the
way through my check-in with the rental company when the guy started talking
some nonsense about 450 miles. Ummm…no. I had made sure I had unlimited miles. “Well, because you have a Georgia state
license, we can’t give you unlimited miles. Should’ve read the fine print.”
Said the attendant, with a smirk. I
wasn’t sure why he felt the need to smirk at my tragedy…yes, at this point I’m
allowed to call everything from a stubbed toe to a car accident a tragedy. I mean, honestly, would you think to read the
fine print of a reservation that says UNLIMITED MILES, just to make sure that
the state you live in allows you unlimited miles? Needless to say, after much bantering back
and forth, I cancelled my reservation and went from rental company to rental
company in search of a car. Not a good
plan on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, by the way. “Well, I have a mustang for $355 for the day”
offered one very helpful sales lady. PASS.
“I can get you into a mid-size for $500 for the weekend,” offered
another. Better, but I still think I’m
gonna PASS . After two and a half hours
I couldn’t take it anymore. I was
sobbing. In hysterics. Full on panic attack.
I called my parents upwards of twenty times asking for advice and
help. At one point my mom was on her
laptop looking for cars, my dad was on his doing the same and I was frantically
looking online on my phone. My dad
finally found me a car and made the reservation. It was about $120 more than I had originally
anticipated on paying, but I didn’t care. I put a smile on my face, texted
Justin that I would be on my way shortly and headed for the rental
counter. The sales guy was super
friendly and said he’d seen how horribly the first company had treated me,
promising he wouldn’t do the same. He
found my reservation and I willingly handed over my debit card. “Oh” he said, “we can’t take debit cards from
people with a Georgia license, it’s airport policy.” WHAT IS IT WITH PEOPLE FROM GEORGIA!?!? “
“Can my dad phone a credit card in?” I asked hopeful, but
already knowing the answer. The guy
shakes his head; I start sobbing all over again, harder than before, and walk away
shaking. I didn’t know what to do. I had
been defeated. The trip I had my heart set on for weeks wasn’t going to happen,
I’m a waitress at a Mexican restaurant…a mustang isn’t in my budget. I went out to ground transportation to take a
cab home, sat down on the bench to gather my thoughts and smoke a
cigarette. I reach in my purse, and what
do you know…I’m out of cigarettes. Well,
isn’t that just my luck? It seems so
dumb, and petty, but that really was the icing on the cake. I lost it. Full on
panic attack, sob-fest, pathetic girl at twelve o’clock style tantrum. I looked over and saw a guy next to me
smoking, and with that sad look of desperation in my puffy tear filled eyes I
choked out the words that would unknowingly change my fate, “can (deep breath)
I (another deep breath) bum a (just for dramatic effect, another deep breath)
cigarette?” He happily gave me one, lit
it and then offered me a few more for the road, but I declined. Just then my roommate called, and I started
to tell her the long and tragic story that is my life. I didn’t notice the guy still lingering
behind me as I went into my tale of heartache and misery. He eventually started to walk away, and I choked
out another thank you and figured that was that. I bum smokes to people on a daily basis;
bums, co-workers, bummy co-workers; it’s kind of an unwritten code amongst
smokers, in my opinion. You just do
it. After a long talk with my roommate I
got in line for a cab, contemplating what my next move would be. And then I heard someone yelling in my
direction. “Hey, let me get you a cab,
sweethaahht. “ I looked up to see, cigarette donor motioning towards me to get
in a cab. “That’s ok, I’ve got it,” I
said, my voice still shaky from all of the crying and anxiety.
“Come on,” he yelled “You’ve had a hahhhd day. It’s the
least I can do. “ (FYI- I am a great speller, I’m just trying to portray an
east coast accent for my readers). I
still declined, but suggested we split a cab, because really the $40 I was
about to pay to get home was weighing on me.
“So what has got you so down, dawhl?” he asks once I’ve
slightly composed myself. Still short
panicky breaths are all I can muster.
“I…just...hate…this…town,” I stammer.
“Why are you so upset,” he
persists on me telling him my story.
So, I make this poor stranger endure the saga, as I have you…and I
apologize to him…and now to you.
“What if I buy you a plane ticket
to Wilmington?” he offers. My jaw drops,
this literally can happen, and did. I just shake my head no, my mouth still
agape. “seriously, I have so many
skymiles, that I never use, just let me buy you a plane ticket.” I am floored.
Flabbergasted. Stunned. What other words can I use to describe this emotion? Because I felt them
all, separately.
“why are you being so nice to me?
Someone you don’t even know.”
“Isn’t life about helping people
out that are need it? When I can help a stranger out, I do” he says very matter
of fact.
“Well, yeah…that’s how I feel. I
just didn’t know other people existed that felt the same way.”
“I just have one condition,” he
started.
Oh great, I thought, this is where
I’m going to get propositioned, or raped or any number of terrible things I’ve
seen on Law and Order SVU marathons.
“I was on my way to the bar,” he
continues “come in and have a drink with me and I’ll get out my laptop and book
your flight.”
“Uh…okay, I’ll think about
it,” I say, immediately realizing how dumb, naïve and also ungrateful I’m
sounding. I really just wanted to scope
the bar out before saying yes. I mean,
I’m a young girl out on her own in a cab with a guy she’s never met; I wanted
to make sure it was a packed place full of people and not some “bar” in the
basement of his house. When we get to
the bar in the middle of town in broad daylight, with a ton of people filtering
in and out, I decide it can’t hurt to go in. worst case scenario the guy’s a
creep and I get the hell out. My mom and
dad texted and called relentlessly, worrying about their baby girl…understandably
so, but I just wanted to believe that there was some good in people left in
this world. I sent them his full name and where we were. I kept in contact with them non-stop
throughout the night. But, sure enough,
the guy pulls out his laptop, searches for flights to Wilmington, and next thing
I know, I’ve got a flight booked for the next day to go see the love of my
life.
I just kept saying “This feels like an Oprah
moment! A REAL LIFE OPRAH MOMENT!” You
get a plane ticket, you get a plane ticket, and you get a plane ticket!!! We’re
all going to WIIILLLLMMMIIINNNNGGGTOOOOOOONNNNN!!!!
The next morning I left for
Wilmington, NC and had an amazing weekend with my amazing boyfriend, I’ll spare
you the details, which involve a lot of eating dinner out and playing kissy
face and telling each other how great the other one is. When it came time to say goodbye I was
heartbroken, as I usually am when we have inevitably have to part ways. I cried
a little, okay a lot, and then he left for work. I took a cab to the airport a
few hours later and figured that was it until the next time. But, wouldn’t you know, they were oversold
and there was a tropical storm a-brewin’, and they needed flexible travelers in
exchange for vouchers for another flight.
I literally ran to the counter. Oh my god, I can stay another night with
Justin and get airline money for my next flight out here?! I’m down. So,
needless to say, my first trip to Wilmington was free, and now my second one is
going to be as well.
In all that has happened to me
in the past couple of months, I may have gotten discouraged and upset at times,
but I never lost faith in myself or other people. I kept a positive attitude,
for the most part, and always ALWAYS believed in karma. But, since the generosity of this complete
stranger and then the crazy luck at the airport on the way home, I really
decided to take a closer look at karma and my life. I may be a happy, nice and good hearted
person; but I rarely went completely out of my way for a total stranger. Maybe
some change here and there, or a few kind words to someone, but never along the
lines that I received. I also don’t
have a stack of skyline miles setting in my account, or more than $20 in my
bank account most of the time, but I could still make an effort to do
more. So…….the reason you’ve endured
this long and winded story is because I am making it a priority to do at least
one good deed a day. Some for people that are close to me and whom I love
dearly and some for people I don’t know from Adam. And, I’m going to blog about the whole thing…and
whatever else may be going on in life.
I’m doing this for two reasons. One: I hope someone else will be
inspired to do something similar. I
think this could be a much better place for everyone in it, if we all did just
one selfless good deed to make someone else’s day better. Two: Writing about it will make me more
responsible. Knowing that other people are expecting me to do something good,
will help me remember what it’s all about. Even on the worst days.
So, I hope you enjoy this
experiment/journey/new project as much as I know I will.
THANKS FOR READING!
D
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