“I was having a morning from hell, my alarm clock went off but all that played was static so I slept through it. I woke up with only minutes to get ready and out the door to work. I had no time to make a lunch or eat breakfast. I stopped in at Conversations and was unfortunately rude due to the stress of being late for work. Rick was so kind and immediately turned my frown to a smile. The muffins weren’t ready and he offered to bring one to work for me. I giggled and didn’t fully expect him to actually do it. Then, at nine o’clock, he came in smiling and holding a muffin for me. I just want to thank him for being so kind when I wasn’t. Man, do I love this small town!”
Kristine
By David F. Rooney
My friend, Sue, who is an inveterate reader of The Stoke List, spotted this brief and spritely bit of writing and was immediately struck by Kristine Osachoff’s willingness to share her positive experience. This short anecdote also struck a chord because we had been talking about different kinds of stories that could be produced for The Current. One of those ideas revolved around the terribly negative ranting that seems to periodically bubble to the surface of The Stoke List. This isn’t a comment on The Stoke List itself but, perhaps, on human nature. Give people an opportunity to say something anonymously and they are more likely to moan, carp, complain and sometimes be downright rude.
Here, though, was something different: 139 words about how one man’s thoughtful service turned Kristine’s bad day into a good one. What’s just as refreshing is that she took the time to write about her experience and what Rick’s gesture meant to her.
Another positive incident recently spotted on The Stoke List came from a woman who inadvertently ended up with the wrong jacket at the Last Drop. When she realized the error the next morning, she posted a notice on The Stoke explaining that the jacket she ended up with was higher quality than her own. In her post, she asked for the proper owner to contact her so they could exchange.
Given the number of complaints and even rants about missing jackets, phones, packs and bags from local bars, this example of honesty is heart-warming.
Both of these examples are encouraging. Wouldn’t it be nice to focus on the positive stories and experiences in our community? What a great way to start 2013!
If you have a tale you’d like to share, please do.
