Monday, June 2, 2008

I had a very nice All-American moment while I was out taking my walk this afternoon. You might want to go to iTunes and download “Another Pleasant Valley Sunday” by the Monkees to use as background music while you read this blog. I encountered a lemonade stand that was being run by two cute little girls. I informed them  (and their mom) that I didn’t have any money and went on my way. Since I walk for an hour and in a large drawn-out circle around our subdivision, I had the chance to pass the their lemonade stand again. By the time I passed them the second time I was actually kind of thirsty and wishing that I had brought some money with me. I usually carry a few bucks in my shorts.

This time they told me I didn’t have to pay. There were some boys who had gathered (girls always attract boys) and they weren’t so sure about giving me the free lemonade. I took a cup without ice. The boys didn’t want me to get any extra ice, since the lemonade was cold and they had me pegged for a freeloader. I told the older of the two girls that I would come back later and pay her the fifty cents that I owed her, and she said that it was okay if I didn’t. When kids take the time to be enterprising, I like to try and do right by them. Capitalism begins and ends at the lemonade stand. What would not coming back and not settling my debt teach them?

After I got home and cooled off, I hopped in my car. Luckily, I still had a few quarters in the cup holder for feeding parking meters. The younger of the two girls was running the stand while her older sister was off playing with the boys when I got there. I told the younger sibling that I was the guy who had been walking and who owed them the money. It didn’t really register, but she took the money anyway, more confused than anything else. I think she really wanted to give me another glass since some money had changed hands. Then her sister came running over. She thanked me and offered me another cup. I didn’t take it, but it was sweet of them to offer. That’s a lot of satisfaction for fifty cents.