We sent Manya on her way after replacing what was in her lost wallet and sat down to eat some great Mexican food at a taco truck. The guys working behind the counter were so concerned for her. They had helped her look for her wallet with us but found nothing. Jonathan and Jesus played double duty: wallet searching and burrito making.
As we ate they asked us, “Did that lady ever find her wallet?” We told them she hadn’t but we had tried to help her out a little to replace what was in her wallet. They were intrigued and asked some questions about why. We gave them a couple of stickers and told them about our trip. It’s incredible how many opportunities we throw away to hear what others think and have to say. These guys were no different. We’d usually pay more attention to our food than to the people’s lives behind making it. On this day, however, we didn’t let that conversation slip by us.
Both were interested in the fact that we were from Minnesota and had made a trip all the way to Eureka, CA. We were impressed by their interest in helping find Manya’s missing wallet and felt they needed to be recognized for their commitment to others and their great customer service.
Nate approached the counter asking if they could break a 50 dollar bill. Of course, no problem. How was business? Usually pretty good, but slower today because of the weather.
“Well,” Nate said. “I actually don’t want to buy anything.”
“Oh okay, no problem.” Jonathan said with a smile.
“I just wanted the two of you to have this.” Nate put the money into their tip jar. Their surprise was priceless. At first they weren’t sure if it was a joke. When they realized we were serious, they thanked and thanked while shaking our hands. Another reminder that good people deserve to be recognized.
Allow your heart to look beyond a counter and into people’s lives. #ProjectWildness
