Paying It Forward

As a Starbucks Barista I have experienced just how ugly people can be when they do not get their way. As a person who says "thank you" excessively, and genuinely means it when I do, it is fascinating to watch how often people make demands and then degrade you when it is not to their exact specifications.

But today I saw, firsthand, one of the most amazing acts of kindness I had to take a deep breath of fresh air to believe it was real.

So you have all seen the commercials, and probably the movie that coined the phrase, "pay it forward." An insurance company has a commercial displaying random acts of kindness, a car commercial has a woman paying for the car behind her so she can flirt with the driver.

A young woman came through the drive-thru today and asked to pay for the drinks in the car behind her. I asked her to repeat herself, because I had become so cynical that I was sure I had mistaken her meaning. She paid for three very expensive drinks, tipped her Baristas (which in itself is shockingly uncommon), and drove away with a smile.

When the next driver came through and handed her money out the window I told her that her drinks had been paid for by the first car. Her eyes widened and she immediately asked, with a defensive tone, why the person had done it. I shrugged my shoulders, tried to fight back a wide smile as I realized that the first driver wasn't intending to flirt, and said that I didn't know what her reason was. Then I closed the window and walked through the bar to get the drinks, feeling almost dumbfounded that such a selfless act of kindness had happened in a place where I had become accustomed to preparing myself for someone to spit in my face.

When I returned to the window with her drinks I saw tears welling in her eyes as she looked at me. She paused, without reaching out to take her drinks, and said,

"She must have known I was having a bad day. I guess it's just paying it forward."

I nodded and told her that I hoped her day would continue to improve. She shook her head in disbelief as she drove away, and I found myself too fighting back tears.

It's a nice concept, but after the event of today, I truly believe that paying it forward can spread joy to more than just the person intended.

And I'll Be Missing You

One of my dad's best friends passed away recently and, as cliche as it is, it really made me realize how short life is.

He was a good man, one of the best. Everyone considered him to be their best friend, but Don considered everyone to be his. He was the kind of man who never spoke of himself, he would rather spend time listening to others. He had a regular seat at every person's home, at several restaurants and a few other places where he was welcomed with a cheer. He had a deep belly laugh that was infectious, and a great bear hug that could make you feel as though you were a toddler again, being picked up by a man who loved you more than he loved himself.

Even when he was sick with cancer, and facing the fear of death, he still wanted to spend more time with his friends and family than in the hospital improving his condition. Though his body was giving way, and the recovery process was torturing him, his eyes still smiled and his happiness still infiltrated the room.

Now I have been left to wonder, if I were to pass away, far too young as our dear Big Don, who will I leave behind to remember me? And how? I have reached out to those I care about, those who I have lost touch with, and even someone who I was willing to lose. Since Big Don's death I have come to learn that people come in and out of my life, and at times I have willingly cast people away and at times I have been the one trying to hold on. But perhaps if I were more like Big Don, listening more and judging less, I would leave behind a legacy of people who knew me as a caring, dedicated and loyal person.

We all love to talk about ourselves, share our world with others and constantly relive our 15 minutes of fame. But as a reporter I have learned to sit back and listen, repeat the things people believe are important and share other people's stories with the world instead of telling my own. Though this new life and career choice is rewarding, and people refer to me as such a good, sweet person, I have also fallen out of people's lives. People who I dearly care for have moved on without me, and yet I know all the steps they are taking in their lives and all the adventures they are embarking upon. But what do they know of me? All summer I have ached knowing that I am traveling my life path alone, without someone to tell my story, and no one to listen.

But should it matter? There were so many aspects of Big Don's life that no one person knew him entirely. And he will always be remembered as the sweetest man, the one who always listened.

So perhaps if I keep listening more, I may be forgotten for the rest of my life, but afterward I will be remembered.

The beginning of the next great American novel

So I was right, I haven't been able to keep up with this blog.

But now that I have graduated from college and moved home, my life has settled down.

I'm an intern at a television station, hoping to become a reporter this fall. Until then I have been searching for a job that pays, but I have been told repeatedly that I'm over-qualified. I just got a job working at the state fair, which should be a great way to improve my tan and get out of debt.

But now that I don't have a steady job or any homework, I have been given the gift of time. So I have started the next great American novel. It may take years before I'm published, but it's sure fun to think about making a living doing what I love to do the most; write.

Here's a little preview of a future NY Times bestseller. This is a Sleeping Beauty tale, and the following passage tells the reaction of the royal family and the crowd after the announcement that the Sleeping Beauty will not live past her sixteenth birthday.

"The crowd paused in shock, and then slowly, one by one, regained their composure. They turned to the king for answers, but he stood there motionless, staring blankly at the open doors and the darkening sky beyond. Fear engulfed his face; his jaw was slack, his eyes empty and brimming with tears.

The queen clutched the bassinet and started to shake with grief. She wept aloud, but it was a quiet, mournful, helpless sorrow. She started to shake her head and seemed so weak it looked as if she would collapse. Then she stood suddenly and appeared to stop breathing, which drew the king’s gaze toward her. She grasped her child and held her close to her chest. The princess’s white christening gown draped down to the floor as the queen held her and kissed her head repeatedly. Then she fell to the ground, her skirts puffing around her. She wrapped her child as tight as she could in her arms, rocked back and forth, and started to sob again.

There was no celebration that night."

[all content and intellectual property protected by copyright law; E. Rusk 2006]

Home Alone

Obviously I haven't been maintaining this blog because I have too much going on in my life, most importantly drinking gallons of tequila with my friends before we all graduate and become adults. I'm concentrating on my fabulous life as a college student for the last few weeks before I walk across that stage and pick up that unbelievably expensive piece of paper. As graduation draws near I have to concentrate on keeping my grades up, spending as much time as I can with my friends while we are all in town, being a responsible reporter and attempting to drink tequila 3 to 4 nights a week. Life is rough.

It is Easter weekend and the town is empty. I find it surprising that such a liberal town with such a politically correct campus that doesn't let us even mention the word Christianity (oh I should not have said that, for shame) clears out on a religious holiday...

As for reporting, my beat is starting to get exciting and my articles should start sparkling again soon, so keep reading. I also get to moderate an Ethics Forum that I have been planning with a few other students.

The job front is slow because my resume tape isn't good enough to submit to television stations. So now I get to move back in with my parents and complete another internship for free, yipee. But in a week I leave for Vegas for the RTNDA conference and hopefully some employer falls in love with me and gives me a shot in the dark.

It's Been A While...

I haven't blogged in a long time because my life has been so hectic I hardly have time to sleep. Which would explain why I have the plague right now. So why am I so tired?

The other day I realized that I have been going to school for two years straight, and now the spring semester has begun.

But the good news is that I am doing very well in school and I will graduate in May. I'm starting to freak out a little bit, but it's also exciting. I want to be a broadcast journalist, "live on location, and back to you in the studio."

Swept Away

Greatest Party Of The Year

Halloween 2005
Krystal the Canadian Mountie
Me the Beer Garden Girl
Jayme the Ringmaster