Racking Up the Good Karma

I am a firm believer in karma. I believe that you get what you give in this world. If you put a negative attitude out there, you’ll only get a negative back. I am constantly amazed at the trivial things that annoy seemingly normal people. I understand that bad days are had, and tolerance for trivial annoyances is all relative to the kind of day a person has. But I am trying my hardest to not be one of those people who gets annoyed at stupid things, regardless of what kind of day I have.

The other day I was standing in line in my new favorite place—the Ocean State Job Lot store that is next door to our gym. (I have renewed my love affair with this place, where else can you get a tube of Carmex, a tin of mints, and two sponges for the kitchen sink for $3.03?) I was in line at the only open register behind an old man who was riding one of those Rascal motorized wheelchairs. One of the items he was buying didn’t have a price tag on it.

I felt the urge to tap my foot with impatience. Instantly the “Oh great, now the cashier is going to have to get another package of long johns, and I’ll be stuck here longer…” crossed my mind. Then I thought about it for a second. Why am I wasting my energy to get impatient with an old man who wanted to buy some thermal underwear that didn’t have a price tag on them? I asked the cashier where the thermal underwear was stocked, and went and got her a different one, so she wouldn’t have to leave her post at the register. She thanked me, and finished ringing out the old man while he struck up a conversation with me.

He paid for his goods, and proceeded to lay rubber with the Rascal and made for the door; without his newly purchased thermals and whatever else was in the half dozen bags he’d left on the counter.

“Wait!” I hollered, and scooped up his bags, “You forgot all your stuff!” He laughed about the onset of senility, and I helped him stash the bags all over the Rascal all the while joking about how “roomy” it is.

Later that day I had my success at the DMV, and I relate the ease at which I got my license with my helping the old man in Ocean State Job Lot. I left the DMV feeling like my karma had evened out. I did something nice for a stranger, and the DMV issued me a driver’s license without making me swear like a sailor or cry like a baby.

Then on the way home I saw a man walking across the street as I was stopped at a traffic light. His hat fell off as he began to jog when the light changed. He kept running and didn’t notice that his hat had fallen off. I rolled down my window and pointed out that his hat had fallen. I held up traffic as he turned around to get it and then finished crossing the street, even though my light had turned green. He waved a thank you, and I waved back.

Now I am ahead in my karma again, and hope that something good is in store for me to even it out again.