I received an online survey from a blogger yesterday asking readers to prioritize what makes them happy from a list of seven items including: Excellent Health, Better Relationships, More Fun and Joy, More Energy, More Money, More Time and Less Stress. This is the order that I arranged the list to reflect my priorities. How would you have arranged your list?
In my life I have reached a point where all of my needs are met and my wants are very few so having excellent health seems to be one thing that I want to keep at the top of my list at all times.
Later in the day my wife and I went to eat at a local buffet where they have an excellent selection of food, including a salad bar, choices of Mexican, Oriental foods or a seafood, and a Chef slicing prime rib to order. On Monday and Wednesday they offer all of this plus a selection of things to drink along with a dessert bar at a two for the price of one so the total bill for two people comes to $10.56. I need to mention that this is at a casino and I don’t gamble, but it is available without gambling, although I’m sure that most people do some gambling.
Now here is where the story gets interesting… As we were getting seated a person caught my eye because his hair was a mess and he had on quite worn clothes and he seemed to be past retirement age. I was really pleased that he was able to enjoy a great meal here and something about him resonated that he was a good person.
As we were eating I noticed a well dressed couple because the man was carrying a plate loaded with cookies and two desserts. I thought to myself ‘this looks like a take home plate’. I was right because under the table he started handing his wife about five cookies at a time and she would put them between her legs in the crotch area. I thought that they really have a system going here. I asked my wife to watch and see where the cookies went from between her legs and neither of us could see her put them into a bag or container so we were wondering how they were going to get them out of the restaurant. Finally they got up and left and I said that she must have a magic dress or a hidden pocket in the crotch. All I ever saw was her putting the cookies between her legs right at the crotch area. Well, they will be eating crotch cookies for a week with the load that they took.
I love watching people and I see interesting things all of the time. Today had another adventure for me. I noticed an employee standing by the salad bar with her arms folded and just glaring. I looked to see what she was glaring at and it was the unkempt man. He was eating his dessert, but he had two nice pieces of prime rib on a separate plate that had not been touched. The employee headed off to the front of the restaurant and was pointing out the man to a supervisor who immediately circled around him and us and ended up in the pastry area where she had a prime area to see what the man was going to do with the prime rib. I thought how badly the man would feel in being caught taking food and he seemed to need it. I thought about this for a moment and then I got up walked up to the man and said “you are being watched” and then I walked over to the ice cream machine and got my wife a chocolate/vanilla swirl that she had earlier said that she may want. As he was leaving the man stopped by our table and said “thank you, I was getting it for my dog” I can’t remember what I said back to him as it was a swirl of thoughts in my mind, I think I said “I understand” but when he left I felt what I said was not enough. I have made the decision to look for him the next time that we are there and invite him to join us and we can enjoy a conversation with him.
This whole event caused me to decide that the list that I prioritized above was not complete because what was left off of the list was having a home to go to and enough food to eat. It brings tears to my eyes to thing of the number of people who do not have the security of these two things.
I hope that you will go to the comments sections and give your thoughts on the events that I experienced.
Did I do right by warning the man? I thought that the prime rib may be for him and that he was in need of a extra bit of good food. Well I still feel that I did the right thing, I would hate to see him banned from eating there because of his need. There is a difference between a need and a want in my mind. What say you on this matter?
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I don’t understand this system — Am I leaving a comment to someone else’s comment, or am I leaving a comment to the original article by Buck?
If I at all had the capacity to engage the man with a Doggie interest, I would have sat down at his tavble and shaerd with him making friends with him if possible and ask whether he had enough money to pay for hte “extra” ribs and point out that the house wsa watching him. I would have ben willing to buy a large sack of dog food for his waggly friend or at least, cover the cost of the ribs. Anything else would be better than visiting him in jail for theft, when I could have prevented it.
As for the questioon “What makes me Happy?” I am at peace within, because I have no issues with “them” being wrong, I have no fear, no hate, no greed, no debts, no contracts, no state issued ‘IDs’, no enemies, and no money. I do have a home where I can go anytime i wish.
That produces happpiness, not gracious living, — Inner Peace, which for me IS HAPPINESS.
William Candor Fields
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Inspiring! You assessed the theatre of events unfolding before you, then made a gesture to your fellow man based on the “spirit” of the law, as opposed to the letter of the law. You blessed your new friend and yourself. Short answer: you did well.
Lofty aspirations like, “excellent health, better relationships, more fun and joy,” etc, are really blessings sprouting from a greater calling: good will toward your fellow man.