"Others"

The back of the red F-150 read “others”… It’s probably the most peculiar bumper sticker I have ever encountered. Driving on the roads and freeways in and around Southern California can elicit numerous thoughts and emotions. Every so often bumper stickers will cause me to smile, or shake my head, or think. This one reading “others” seemed to really hit home.

So much of my day is all about me. My thoughts are about my diet; my pleasure; my interests; my studies… So, what is this guy with the red truck trying to say? What is his point? Why is he picking on me?

It’s Thursday morning and I am fulfilling my carpool duties. I ask Alyssa, “What is the agenda for school today? Any tests or quizzes?” She replies, “We are having the fiesta in Spanish class. And, I forgot the (nacho) cheese sauce.” As she completed her sentence I could see that she was discouraged. Her discouragement was almost matched by my displeasure. It was for that cheese sauce that I went to the store the evening before, and paid for it myself. To make things worse, I’m on a diet and can’t eat that stuff, so there’s no bonus for it being left home. I asked if we should turn around to get it. She said no, that it would make them late for school.

As I drove back to the coffee shop to do some work for my ethics class I started thinking about that cheese. “If I go home, get it, and bring it to school, it will cost me thirty minutes, not to mention the two bucks in gas”.

Others

So, I drove past Starbucks and headed home. I called Yvonne and asked her to bring the cheese out to me when I pulled into the driveway. She did. I sent Alyssa a text instructing her to meet me at the turn around during her snack break. I pulled up to the school at five minutes to ten, Alyssa waiting by the curb. She opened the passenger side door, grabbed the cheese, and said “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Others

I’m not really sure what long-term affect this cheese delivery of mine will have on the relationship Alyssa and I share. I doubt that while she is on tour this summer, on a long night-time bus ride, that she will remember my heroic act and shed a tear because her dad loves her so much. Nevertheless, I did do something for somebody else, which may lead to another time to help somebody, which may develop into a habit. Maybe that is the best thing.

Others