The Kindness of Strangers

I packed a lot of stuff into my suitcases and book bag. Since I was moving out of my room entirely, and nothing could be left, I put a lot of things that would normally not be taken with me into my luggage. Good thing, too, because my storage unit was filled to capacity--from floor to ceiling and wall to wall to door; not one extra box would have fit.

So I wasn't all that surprised when my luggage was deemed too heavy--six pounds over the limit. The worker asked if I had any spare room to put the extra six pounds in, and I just looked at her. I was extremely tired and so the look of incredulity on my face when she said I'd have to pay $50 for the extra pounds on top of the $15 checked baggage fee seemed justified. I thought about it for a minute before resignedly telling her to just charge the card. I must've looked and sounded pretty sad and pitiful, because the gentleman who was checking in at the kiosk next to mine offered to pay my checked baggage fee. I sort of missed the entire transaction in my depressed state, until I was told I was done and I wondered what card she had put the charge on. "I thought you understood that this gentleman was paying it for you," she said. I've never felt so grateful for anything before.

And then, on the not-full flight from Phoenix, a guy gave up his window seat for me and instead sat in an aisle seat. The flight was definitely not full, but somehow my row had been assigned three people. I had gotten there first, and when he showed up saying that was his seat and I was in it (because I was already expecting the flight to not be full) said he would sit in the aisle behind me if no one came. Someone came, and I offered him window seat back and I'd take the aisle seat, but he said he was fine. Can you believe it?! These people sure have some good karma coming their way. I'm also thinking I need a way to Pay the Kindness Forward...

Then, to top it off, Stefanie is letting me borrow her car while I'm here. I picked it up at her family's home in Springville and they were all so nice and friendly that they, along with Stefanie, are my new favorite people, Stefanie holding the title of Most Very Favor-ite Person in the Universe! Good Karma all around.