This morning started off for me with a headache. It's not common for me to wake up this way (I grind my teeth). I had some almonds, took the dogs for a walk, and went to the bank. It was by every sense of the word an ordinary day. Walking out of the bank something stunningly beautiful caught my eye, even despite the already picturesque South Pasadena scenery. ROSES! While normally I might just walk by with thoughts of my morning mocha, these roses were so unseasonably blooming, I decided to stop and smell them. They were every bit at sweet as you would expect a spring bloom. While I was enjoying the moment I saw a woman approaching. She seemed in a hurry. However, she saw me and stopped abruptly. She moved down to enjoy the roses (pink roses to be exact). She took such a deep breath in I'd swear it could have been her last. Then she did the most unexpected thing ever...
She dived into her purse and pulled out a five dollar bill. She handed it to me and said this.
"It pays to stop and smell the roses."
WHAT!!!!!!!
Yes this actually happened. I just stood there as she walked into the bank with a "what just happened" look on my face. I thought for a second maybe I should wait outside for her and give it back. I mean after-all she stopped too...by her logic, shouldn't she get paid as well? However, I picked my jaw off the sidewalk and got in my car. My shock turned into excitement when I told Eddie. What was I to do with this 5 dollar bill???
It wasn't long to decide that this random act of kindness needed to be paid forward. My dad suggested I write "Smell the Roses" on the five dollar bill and conduct a pay-it-forward kind of social experiment which I really dig. Five dollars might not buy me a lot, but having a reminder to stop and smell the roses might be well worth framing the bill and hanging it on my wall. Lots of ideas...
What do you think I should do with it???
