What Would You Do?
20/20 has this show, called "What Would You Do?". They have several scenario's about tense situations with actors initiating a tense conversation. This week they had a boy wanting to buy a Barbie doll, a boy wearing a dress in a toy store, a large person ordering unhealthy foods while the waiter tells her what she needs to order, and lastly a woman at the grocery store whose food stamp card ran out of money and if there was any compassion in the line of people behind her. Each of the women was of a different ethnic background and one of them did not speak English. There was also another actor who tried to talk the person who went to pay, out of doing it, stating that they are not helping the person, so on and so forth.
This scenario made me cry when a young lady who was on the phone, took it upon herself to go forward and pay for the non-English speaking woman, whose benefits ran out and could not buy the food.
This really hit home.
There were many times as a young mother where I was scrapping together change to buy food, diapers, formula and other stuff. There were many times I was grimacing at the checkout line when the items were being rung up where I didn't think that I would have enough money. I remember this one store I would shop at and when it happened once, they let me take the groceries home and come back with the money. It was tough, I remember going to the pawn shop with an item when there was still a week until payday and I was broke and something would always come up. I remember going without so much, yet I was so happy. I suppose it was because of the family that I had for support. My son, he was the light of my life and I would do anything for him. I made sure that he never went without something like I had as a child. I remember many nights being sent to bed without dinner. Going to school with the same clothes, not having what everyone else had. I know it makes you a better person blah blah. I made sure my son had all that I did not, but he still had to work for it. Thank gosh he was never a label guy, except shoes, he loved his Nike shoes.
Anyways, we were at the store once, and I had the actual food stamps, the card hadn't come out yet. Between walking from home to the store, I lost the food stamps. I didn’t realize it till everything was on the belt, being rung up. I didn't know what to do since I didn't have the money anywhere. It wasn't that much, forty-five dollars worth, but to me who did not have the forty- five dollars to replace it, it was gold. I went through my purse one last time, the tears already falling telling my son to hush who was asking me why was I crying. I then told the cashier that I did not have the money and I would put everything back. I did tell them I lost the money, but without having the money to replace it I could not take it home and not come back without the money. A man behind me, came over and paid for my groceries. He was a younger gentleman, who could have made fun of me, told me what a bad mother I was or laughed in my face. He didn't do any of that. He just paid for my groceries, bagged them in the bags I brought along, and told me, his mother would not forgive him if he didn't help. He said his mother would do anything for him also.
What would you have done??
In the position I am in now, that God and my hard work has helped me achieve, I never forget where I was and I know how easy it is to go back there. I always try to help out when I can, knowing that it could, it was and it can be me in that position.
This scenario made me cry when a young lady who was on the phone, took it upon herself to go forward and pay for the non-English speaking woman, whose benefits ran out and could not buy the food.
This really hit home.
There were many times as a young mother where I was scrapping together change to buy food, diapers, formula and other stuff. There were many times I was grimacing at the checkout line when the items were being rung up where I didn't think that I would have enough money. I remember this one store I would shop at and when it happened once, they let me take the groceries home and come back with the money. It was tough, I remember going to the pawn shop with an item when there was still a week until payday and I was broke and something would always come up. I remember going without so much, yet I was so happy. I suppose it was because of the family that I had for support. My son, he was the light of my life and I would do anything for him. I made sure that he never went without something like I had as a child. I remember many nights being sent to bed without dinner. Going to school with the same clothes, not having what everyone else had. I know it makes you a better person blah blah. I made sure my son had all that I did not, but he still had to work for it. Thank gosh he was never a label guy, except shoes, he loved his Nike shoes.
Anyways, we were at the store once, and I had the actual food stamps, the card hadn't come out yet. Between walking from home to the store, I lost the food stamps. I didn’t realize it till everything was on the belt, being rung up. I didn't know what to do since I didn't have the money anywhere. It wasn't that much, forty-five dollars worth, but to me who did not have the forty- five dollars to replace it, it was gold. I went through my purse one last time, the tears already falling telling my son to hush who was asking me why was I crying. I then told the cashier that I did not have the money and I would put everything back. I did tell them I lost the money, but without having the money to replace it I could not take it home and not come back without the money. A man behind me, came over and paid for my groceries. He was a younger gentleman, who could have made fun of me, told me what a bad mother I was or laughed in my face. He didn't do any of that. He just paid for my groceries, bagged them in the bags I brought along, and told me, his mother would not forgive him if he didn't help. He said his mother would do anything for him also.
What would you have done??
In the position I am in now, that God and my hard work has helped me achieve, I never forget where I was and I know how easy it is to go back there. I always try to help out when I can, knowing that it could, it was and it can be me in that position.
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