Wishing to repay the generosity he encountered during his journeys, George Whitman founded his bookstore in 1951 with the motto “be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise” and threw open the doors to all sorts of writers, artists, and intellectuals who sought refuge.
I went to Lidl this morning to buy a few items, but couldn’t find my credit card in its usual place, so I felt in my jacket, saying “there it is”. I do talk to myself aloud, it helps confirm what i’m thinking and provide assurance that something is fine, despite lingering doubts. Don’t you?
So I bought the things, put them in the bag that’s part of my walker, and produced the bus pass. So I said to the checkout man, “sorry, I’ll unload the things in that shopping basket, and come back to pay. I live nearby.” But the woman behind me wouldn’t hear of it, insisting on paying, wouldn’t leave any details so I could pay her back.
So I went home, unloaded things, put the ice cream in the freezer, then came back with the lady’s receipt and my credit card. I showed it to the checkout man and said I wanted to repay the lady, or at least pay the money to Lidl. Neither of these was possible.
It’s silly I know, but I still feel a bit guilty. A perfect stranger gave me £10.51 worth of goods.
See also this post
a wayfarer’s notes 