Two kinds of people in the parking lot at the grocery store

By Kimmy Lamborn, 365 Days of Service, FL Chapter (by way of Del-a-where)

On Wednesday I was in the parking lot of the Publix grocery store.  I got out of the car and popped the trunk to get my shopping bags and when I was done I spotted this small, older, smiling women.  She was humming as she passed me pushing her cart.  I smiled because, well, she was smiling.  I watched her as I walked through the lot to the stores entrance. 

She collected three carts on her way in.  You know, the straggler carts, the ones that bump into your car because customers don’t return them to their safe little cart tunnel thing.   ( I have no idea what those are really called.)  She was in front of me as I entered.  She simply returned the three carts and proceeded into the store.  And then, in the entrance way, it hit me.  Not only had this woman collected three straggler carts and brought them all the way into the store, she, while smiling the entire time, didn’t even use a cart once in the store. (Note:  She was not an employee.) 


That’s when I realized, there are two kinds of people in the parking lot at the grocery store.  The ones who collect the stragglers and the ones who just walk right by.  I never really thought of it as service until that day and the more I thought about it the more I realized it totally is. 

I wonder which one are you?