Doing the right thing (reprise)…….

……for the wrong reason.

We went downtown yesterday (after getting chased out of the ocean by the lifeguards due to a shark siting…….) to pick up some lettuce and cukes at the farmer’s market.

We stopped in at Sallie’s (Salvation Army) so I could peruse the used book section.  I found a few to add to my supply for work, and went to the counter to check out.

The young mother in front of us was trying to juggle a stroller with a 1 year old, a 3 year old toddler and all of her purchases.  She got to the line and sorted her stuff into piles…..toys, games, clothing.

The cashier rang up the first pile of toys, while young mom fussed at the 3 year old, who was running out the front door, grabbing the toys off the counter……

In the meantime, she was reaching in her pants pocket for her money….and coming up short.

The cashier started ringing up the clothing.

The mom searched more pockets, looked around the floor, looked back at the aisles she had just shopped….and fussed at the 3 year old.

“How long will you hold things?” she asked the clerk and was told “one hour.”  She set aside the games and toys and said “maybe I’ll come back for those later……”

She asked how much just the clothing was….which necessitated the clerk reversing the toy and game charges one at a time to come up with a total .

The line behind us was growing, and I could feel the familiar heel-rocking that I do when impatient……

“$9.36 for the clothes,” said the clerk.  Mom counted out her money….there were eight one dollar bills and some change, and she kept looking at the floor trying to see if she dropped her money somewhere…..

I took out a dollar bill and set it on her pile. She breathed her thanks, added the change and picked up her sack of clothes, and ran after the already bolting 3 year old.

I can’t say I felt “virtuous” or even charitable, and even DH commented that he knew I would pay the difference just to get her out of the way.

It was either donate the dollar or feel the top of my head explode….and I’m trying so hard to get the whole “aloha” thing……