Did I Catch a Niner in there???

One of mine and my sister’s favorite movie lines is from Tommy Boy (I haven’t even seen the whole movie through, I just know the line). The line occurs when Chris Farley is giving a number over the phone and doesn’t really know the number so he just mumbles and David Spade calls him out and says, “…you’re trailing off…did I catch a NINER in there?”

It reminds me of something (probably) all of us do every day. I know I am certainly no exception, even since I have been at Starbucks. I “dumb things down,” play situations down to a level that I expect them to go, I pull a "niner" now and then. I don’t give each encounter with another person the benefit of the doubt. I think that everyone does this because of our own “busyness,” not necessarily on purpose or that we think we are more important, but we miss out on the real important message of each day because we fill our days with “niners.”

Today, I am writing a preface to my actual work-day (in regards to working hours) because I want to start my day looking for opportunities to “play up” each encounter- to get the most from everyone that I meet today. I have met some amazing people by “chance,” by God’s timing, and they have been influential relationships that have changed me and my perspective on life.

Just two days ago, I was at a gas station and my starter went out, just flat went out…my car wouldn’t start. The guy behind me in a pick-up was a mechanic on classic cars and said that maybe he could try to help even though he didn’t know much about electric engines. I was on my way to meet my grandfather, so I had to call him and tell him to drive on to Dallas, that I’d be late. Well, this old boy starts looking in my engine, says it was my starter, said if we could go get a starter at Autozone he could put it in the engine. He stays there with me while I wait on my grandfather, waits while we go get the part, replaces the starter, and absolutely refuses to take one dime for his services. He was more than rough around the edges and he had lived a pretty hard life, but his benevolence saved the day and made me realize that acts of kindness are the simplest form of human connection. They draw a line between hearts that can showcase love on every level, in any situation.

I hope that in some way, I am able to repay Willie for his kindness by spreading my own compassion to someone else- even if it is simply through a smile and unexpected excellent service in a world of “niners.”