Spoiler alert: the blog title isn't what it sounds like. Stay tuned.
Allow me to apologize for my two week hiatus from blog writing as I had a very very busy couple of weeks at work. Though stressful and hectic we survived and we did it gracefully and with smiles on our faces. I'd like to take this time to welcome Tracy and Rob to our management team. We are so excited to have you on our team and cannot wait to teach you everything that there is to know about the pier!
Secondly, a special thank you to all 102 of my associates for helping to prepare for last week's amazingly successful regional visit and for helping us to attain our first perfect 5 secret shop of the year. Mom loves each of you very much!
Now, onto the stranger.
Last weekend, Cory and I headed out with some friends to Shadyside where I stumbled across a man, roughly my age, that was very very intoxicated. Now, I know what you're thinking: no way, a drunk guy at the bar? Groundbreaking.
Give me a minute.
It was apparent to me that this man had been at the bar for quite some time. He could barely sit up straight and his eyes were rolling into the back of his head. He was also alone. Any time anyone came up to the bar, he tried to strike up a conversation with them. I watched six or seven people accept free drinks from this man and then walk away from him while laughing with their friends, leaving him alone at the bar. The bartender continued to serve alcohol to this man until I walked up to him and suggested that we leave the bar area and grab a table.
I began talking to this man, Tom was his name, and he shared a few pieces of information about himself with me. First, he was a U.S. Marine. He has been to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has a daughter that is two years old. His wife moved herself and his daughter to Virginia and does not allow him to see her. He is 23 years old. And the one piece of information that stood out the most to me is that he said that he has never had anyone care about him the way I did.
Reminder: I had known this man for roughly 15 minutes.
Yes, Tom had too many drinks. Way to many drinks, to be completely fair. However, the fact that at that very moment or at any moment throughout his life he believed for a single second that a complete stranger was the most compassionate person he has ever met really speaks volumes about his life and about the world that we are living in.
I offered to drive Tom home and he began to cry. We continued talking about life and when the bar closed Cory, our friends, Tom and I all walked back to my car together. Tom said he lived a few blocks away. He didn't. But, it didn't matter. He sat in the backseat trying to make small talk with Cory while shouting out directions to his house that was about four miles from the bar.
When we got to his house, he thanked me and asked me if he could kiss my cheek. He talked to Cory about how great I was and then he told Cory that if he ever hurt me, he would find him and kill him. Tom exited my car and crossed the street to what I believe to be his home. I don't know his last name. I don't have his phone number. I will never see him again and he probably woke up in the morning not remembering how he got home.
Here is the moral of the story: selfless acts fuel the world.
I gained absolutely nothing out of driving Tom home. However, when I fell asleep that night, I knew that one life breathed easier for a period of time because of something that I did whether he remembers it or not.
Now, if everyone could please remove their head out of their ass and care about someone other than his or her self for five freaking seconds, they could impact the life of another human being.
I think it is also important for everyone to also take a moment and appreciate how it is actually mind-blowing that my boyfriend put up with this and many other adventures that I throw him into. Love is an amazing thing.
I hope that everyone has a fantastic and successful week.
Here's to doing for those that can do absolutely nothing for you in return,
Xoxo <3
