so this afternoon i went into trader joe’s to pick up a few things for dinner and at the register i noticed the price jacking up waaay too high, much higher than expected, so to avoid going into debt i politely asked the cashier, a kind-eyed middle aged guy named brian, if he would mind voiding a few items. he said sure, that would be fine, but he was so sorry i had to do that. i suppose i’m so accustomed to my [relatively recent] poverty and most people’s complete indifference to it that this little comment, and his tone of genuine concern and empathy, took me by surprise. i just smiled and said ‘oh it’s fine, really, thanks for your patience’ and he set the voided items aside. after a minute or so i got the total down to a reasonable amount and started bagging up my groceries. they wouldn’t all fit in one bag, so he grabbed a bag and finished packing the rest. i looked down for a moment to fiddle with my purse, and as he handed me my receipt along with the second bag he gave me a little smile and a quiet ‘these are on the house, don’t worry about it. my name’s brian, if you ever need anything’ then turned to the next person in line and started swiping their items intently. he had snuck the voided items back into the bag while i wasn’t looking. i kind of breathed a thank youuu in his direction, wandered blindly out the doors, and was on the sidewalk before i knew it. i was just dumbfounded, fumbling, so stunned i nearly cried. this dear heart made my night/week, single-handedly reaffirming my waning belief in humanity’s capacity for compassion, in little unconditional acts of kindness. he deserves all the positive vibes/karma/energy inevitably coming to him. just... bless brian xx