we should all remember this, never judge...

[red192]

Never Judge 'Some people!' snorted a man standing behind me in the long line at the grocery store.

'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line, 'said a woman. I looked to the front of the line to see what the hold up was and saw a well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.

'It's one of them welfare card things. Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me. The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment. 'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself.

The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.

After developing cancer in 1977 and having had to use food stamps; I had learned never to judge anyone, without knowing the circumstances of their life. This turned out to be the case today.

Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman. After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.

'Why would she do that?' asked the man. Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement. 'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man.

'Well, that's bad, real bad, in fact. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago. He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice.

'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about.

The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries. 'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.

'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.

'Yes, she goes to our church.' 'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line. He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card. PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.

Hold on,' said the gentleman. He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included.

'Come on people. We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line. Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt. A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts. 'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man. 'NO,' yelled the man. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds. 'Four turkeys,' yelled the man. Everyone began laughing and went back to work. When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries. He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man.

'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man.

The young man looked at the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you.' 'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.' Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap. And I drove home that day feeling very American.

We live in the Land of the free, because of the Brave! Remember our Troops of Yesterday and Today!

Kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear. - Mark Twain A great example of why we should be kind and patient.

Enjoy Life., You only get one try at it.

Blessings to you and yours Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. 'This is the day the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.'

[Sashagirl]

Very good point nobody knows where anyone is at.To the poster.God Bless You!

Marcia

[Courtzrocks]

Oh i started to cry towards the end...that's beautiful, yeah people should not judge if they don't know. I have to admit i do judge people but i try not to...mainly girls in skimpy clothes that barely cover anything then complain they are cold when they are wearing next to nothing in the middle of winter....they're who i mainly judge..but people on welfare i try not to.

[KimM]

Very touching story! OK.. yes. I was crying too! I am SO PROUD of our troops!

[KDK241]

That was great! Growing up my mom had to be on welfare after she got sick and I hated going to the store and using food stamps. People would give us the dirtiest looks. Years later I was at the grocery store and there was a woman in front of me with 2 little kids. She had a bunch of groceries and some things from the deli and toiletries (TP, toothpaste, etc.) When she went to pay the food stamps wouldn't cover the non-food items and the food from the deli. She was digging in her purse for money and came up with $2 and some change (she owed $30). She tried to play it off like she forgot her money at home but I could tell that she just didn't have it. I remembered that happening to me and my mom quite a few times and it really is embarassing and depressing, especially when it is things that you need. I went ahead and paid for her stuff (food too) and told her to keep her food stamps for next time. She cried so hard and said that she had just gotten divorced and had started a new job but didn't get paid for 2 weeks. She said if I gave her my info. she would pay me back but I told her don't worry about it. I saw her again about a year later and she was back on her feet. She tried to pay me then but I still wouldn't take it. I hate when people judge other people. You don't know what their situation is or what they are going through.

[Courtzrocks]

Aww arent you such an angel...it's so nice to know there are good people in the world.

[KDK241]

HA! Far from it....I figure that other people need it more than I do, and believe me, I needed it at the time. I was 18, making $7 an hour and broke but at least I had the necessities in life. I've actually done that a few times at the store but not to that extent. I help elderly people put their groceries in the car if they look like they need it too. I just think that sometimes people are so busy that they don't take the time to look around. What's 5 minutes of my day to help someone?

[Courtzrocks]

We need more people like you...I'd like to think I would do the same...I know I have given a kid $5 cos he was a few dollars short and started getting upset when he wanted to buy a toy, he was really sweet and polite, i couldnt say no...but I'm not usually at the shops when other people are...i am pretty much there late at night as we have a 24hr grocery store just down the road..no lines late at night.

[Kevin]

Amen!!! And Always Proud To Be An American!!!!

[Ashling]

Sweet story :) It's good to know these people are around. Imagine if everyone was like that? KDK241- that was a great thing to do, and amazing that you met again a year later and she was alright!
Yes those troops are legends. Ours are coming home! <3