Random Acts of Kindness Gone Wrong

It doesn't take much to make someone smile. The smallest gesture goes a long way, and the benefits are amazing. Actually, any time I do a "good deed," I think of the "Friends" episode when Joey tells Phoebe that there's no such thing as a selfless act. (If you know me at all, you know I can relate almost anything back to "Friends." Could there BE a better show?) There's some truth to it though. Go out of your way to make someone smile, and you're instantly filled with joy, happiness, and pride. You end up getting out of it just as much, if not more, than you put in.

Lately, though, I have some bad luck on my "random acts of kindness" missions. I'm starting to think that I'm doing more harm than good in the lives of these unsuspecting strangers. Leave it to me to mess up a good thing.

In December, I had an extra, super delish, homemade blueberry pie. The truth is that I probably could have polished it off myself, but in an effort of rare self-restraint, I decided to drop if off at the local firehouse. So, one night after work, I grabbed the pie from the fridge and drove there. It was lightly snowing, and apparently a little more slippery than I realized. Yes, that's right -- I fell. Feet over head, pie in the air, both of us down for the count. The pie was ruined & my good deed thwarted. The silver lining here is that the firemen on duty saw the whole thing, and were thoroughly amused. I think they preferred the slapstick comedy to the dessert anyway. Still, my good intentions, ego, and backside were deeply bruised.

Last week, my sister and I stopped for lunch. I paid with a gift card, and the cashier handed it back with balance of $2 or $3. This is always an easy good deed. Anytime I use a GC & have just a couple of bucks left, I'll hand it to the person behind me in line. It's exactly what I did last week. The man and his young daughter were surprised and grateful -- I felt good about that! I made someone's day! Jen and I sat down, waiting for our order, just a few feet away from the cashier. As the minutes ticked by, I noticed that the man was still standing there, waiting for the cashier to finish the transaction. Apparently, my gift card had frozen the system and locked up the register. Ten minutes later, Jen and I left, and the poor guy was still standing there. More trouble than the $3 was worth, I'm sure.

Well, today might be the best of the worst. I ran into the grocery store to pick up a few things (OK, a tub of chocolate chip cookies for me; top shelf, low sodium turkey for Syd.) As I walked up to the entrance, I noticed the automatic door wasn't working, so you had to pull to open. No big deal -- I open doors on my own all the time. Just as I reached out for the handle, I saw a young mother pushing a stroller, about to enter the store, too. I motioned for her to go ahead as I flung the door open...and didn't realize that her other child, probably around 4, had run up behind me (hoping to open the door himself, I think.) Well, I flung that door and smashed him right in the face. I mean, really clocked the kid. Full blown tears, maybe a little blood. I apologized, and honestly, the woman didn't seem the least bit phased by it, but still, I felt awful.

Next week starts the beginning of Lent, and for the past few years, I've committed to 40 acts of kindness during the season. I'm a little nervous about what could go wrong. All I have to say: you've been warned.