Riding on a high horse

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I was at my favorite coffeeshop, enjoying my favorite cold beverage.  People watching as I usually do.  Then, one of the nice young men who works there starts wandering around with a small food bag.  Intrigued, I tried to figure out what he was doing.  You see, here, like most places, they call your name, you go to the counter to pick up your order.  As he drew nearer to me at the front of the store and as far from the counter as can be, I could hear what he was telling people.  However, I still wasn’t getting why everyone was looking at him like he was from Mars.  Finally, it was my turn.  “Ma’am, I accidentally made this sandwich.  I’d hate to just toss it.  Would you like it?  It’s a bacon, cheese biscuit.”  Hey, my momma didn’t raise no fool.  This girl never turns down free food.  And that sandwich is good – I’ve had it before.  They make the biscuits from scratch – this is the south after all.  It was a bit early for lunch, but free is free.  “Sure.   Thanks so much.”  I stated as I smiled up at him and put my hand out.  He smiled back as he handed me the bag.  I think everyone in the room gasped as I took it.  How was accepting free food a faux pas?   If there was a homeless person on the street, I would’ve walked out and handed it to him/her even without the collective show of horror from this crowd.   But there wasn’t anyone around and this wasn’t the kind of food that stays good for long.  Why waste perfectly good food?  So I ate every last crumb – no, I savored every last crumb.  As everyone stared at me.  Well, I’m glad to have given everyone there an opportunity to feel greater than someone else for a few moments.  Everyone should be able to get on their high horse and ride around every once in a while.  Yet, they should take a look at their motives when their feelings are so superior.  Oh, and they better remember those feelings when they come crashing to the ground and there’s no one offering them a hand – or a free sandwich.  Because those feelings may very well be the only thing they have left.

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