Is there really anything like an ordinary day? No two days are ever the same, even if you have nothing to do. It’s even worse when you are busy right?
On this particular day, there were so many system issues that I decided to take a 30 minute break and rushed to the shops to buy bath soap (so I thought!). I got there and decided I was already at the shops I should pick a few more things that I needed or thought I needed (I am working on my shopping habits, recovering overshopper!). I got through the first shop without incident, spent more than I should have, but like I said, I really ‘wanted to need’ all that stuff. Then I thought, let me see if the next shop has some of the other stuff that I want to need so off I went. I had paid with my phone at the first shop (FNB gives me a free weekly Starbucks voucher if I pay with my phone)! Second shop I decide to pay with my card instead of the app because they had an old looking machine and I thought I didn’t want issues. Could I remember my pin? Nope! The machine asked for my pin and not only could I not remember it, I did not even know what numbers where in it. Nothing! I could not for the life of me remember my PIN number. It took me a few seconds to realise that and I looked up and said to the teller in panic, ‘I can’t remember my pin!’.
‘There is no one else here, take your time. It will come to you.’ She replied with a smile.
I smiled sheepishly and started opening my phone, going through stuff that I thought would help me remember. Nothing worked. I tried to see if I had sent it to my husband, I could not even remember any numbers in it so I could not search for it! Blank! All I knew is that it was not related to a birthday or anything! It was just a random number that I had used many times before that I now could not remember! I felt so lost.
‘Don’t rush yourself. The shop is not full. Just take your time and it will come to you.’ The teller kept saying gently. I was starting to wonder if maybe I should not ask her to remove the stuff from my bag and I go home.
Eventually (after trying to call my husband), I realised that I could check the pin on the banking app… I know right! Proper duh moment for me! I felt so relieved! Of course, I could have left the things I had bought and come back later, but it took so much for me to go out. It was going to be near impossible for me to get back. I put in the pin and left.
The bible reminds us to be kind and helpful for we never know when we could be entertaining angels (I paraphrase, but it really is there in the bible. Think Abraham and Sarah). That day, I felt like God has sent an angel to help me through the day. I was having a bad patch in general, not just at the shop, but life in general. I felt like I was suffocating. That woman was kind and gentle and understood. She did not judge me as some tellers are known to. She assisted me as one would assist a frail, stressed, anxious and overworked mother. She understood. Different walks of life, same story.
When I had gotten to the checkout line, the woman who assisted me was packing things and she was quickly dropped what she was doing to assist me. There was another teller there who was not too busy. I could have waited and did not mind waiting and that was my first thought when the lady dropped what she was doing to assist me. My thoughts were ‘Why does she want to help me so much?’ After what happened, I understood.
The world is hard and harsh and as a result we have learnt to callous and harden our hearts to cushion and protect ourselves from whatever harshness the world would throw at us. This encounter was a reminder that there are still some kind thoughtful and caring people in the world. That I should not get tired of being kind and thoughtful to others. I was really blessed and encouraged by the encounter.