I'm Rich

I’m rich. I proved in on Thursday night.

It was about 9:00 p.m. and I was on my way home. Karin wanted me to pick up some V-8 juice. So I stopped at Safeway.

I grabbed a little basket, found the juice isle after walking around the store twice. Plopped a couple of six packs of V-8 in my basket. Then, since I was at the store and had not had supper and was in a grumpy mood, I checked out the ice cream isle. Tillamook was on sale. So to balance out the V-8 I put a carton of Vanilla Bean in my basket. Then headed to the check out.

A woman in front of me dressed in some kind of blue collar uniform had one item. Laundry detergent. As I stepped into line behind her, she was swiping her debit card. I watched her enter her pin number and waited. Nothing. It didn’t work. She tried again. The cashier tried to help her. It didn’t work. She began apologizing. She tried her debit card once more. Nothing. Didn’t work. No reason.

She pushed her detergent toward the cashier. “Here. I’ll run out to the car and see if I can find some cash.” She was flustered and embarrassed.

I was watching. I’ve read stories about other people intervening in situations like this. This was my chance. I had ice cream in my basket. I was going home to eat blueberry crumb cake and ice cream. This lady was going home or to the laundromat to do laundry. That is, she was if she could get detergent.

I pulled out a ten dollar bill laid it on the check stand and told the lady to take her detergent and go. She looked back at me like I was from Mars or something. “What?” she said. “Take your detergent and go.” I said. “I’ve got it covered.” I waved my ten dollar bill.

She hesitated, then her face lighted up. She was embarrassed some stranger was paying for her detergent. But somebody’s laundry was not going to get done if she didn’t get out of the store with the soap. She picked up her detergent and hurried toward the door never looking back. The cashier and I smiled at each other.

He finished the transaction and gave me my change. It was the best $8.79 I spent all week.

One measure of wealth is having more money than one needs for necessities.

I could afford ice cream -- obviously not a necessity.

And I could afford to give money away to strangers. I won’t even miss that $8.79. Now that’s rich.

And it was really fun.