Fridays.
Man that was… I did not like that job.One night this woman comes in with three small children. As a waiter, I could usually tell who is going to tip well and who is going tip not at all. I definitely got the latter vibe from her. She asked about the price of everything on the menu, she ordered only water to drink. She wasn’t interested in appetizers. At one point her daughter asked her (very politely) “mom can i have milk ?” The woman pulled out her coin purse and counted up her change before saying yes. Now I am convinced I’m not getting a tip, but they were very nice and pleasant to serve so I don’t even think twice about it.At the end of the meal she paid entirely in quarters.
When I went back to bus the table, to my surprise, there was a stack of quarters left for me. It amounted to $8, or about 25% of the meal. Here was a woman who had to count her money before ordering her daughter a chocolate milk because she wanted to make sure she still had enough to tip me generously.
Was it the largest tip I ever got? No, but it’s the only one I remember all these years later.
This story is a reminder that the very best aspects of human nature can shine through in even the most ordinary of everyday situations. First impressions may be powerful, but it’s important to let other people unfold and reveal their true nature rather than making snap decisions about them. Generosity is a valuable virtue to cultivate, whether you happen to be rich, poor, or somewhere in between.
Credit: Corey Herbert via Quora
Featured photo credit: Corey Herbert/Quora via quora.com
