Our day dawned clear and bright, with sunlight shining through the slatted venetian blinds in the living room. A cup of coffee, get dressed and walk the dog. A good day to dust the furnishings...well, I can see the dust, so ... between us, we dusted, vacuumed and washed floors. Then it was time to run some errands in town.
It was only a couple of hours before dinner time and we hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I suggested that we stop in at the Dairy Queen for a little treat before heading home.
I parked the car and went inside to order. There was only one person in line ahead of me, a young boy of about 10 years of age. He handed the young lady two long yellow coupons that he had acquired as a reward for reaching a higher level of success in the local library reading club.
He ordered two chocolate sundaes "to eat here", he said.
The young lady who took his order wasn't sure what to do with the coupons as she was a trainee and this was her first day on the job. When she asked for assistance, all the staff seemed to be particularly busy and somebody told her to collect the coupons when the order was filled. Without a word, the trainee turned and pulled a clear plastic cup from the dispenser and held it under the DQ ice cream dispenser. She swung the lever to start the ice cream flowing.
When the cup had been filled to the level the trainee had been told to fill the cup, she gripped the lever and pulled it ... but it didn't move. The ice cream kept coming, and the ice cream kept piling up in the little cup.
Now the trainee was maneuvering the little plastic cup around as it got filled beyond the tipping point. In a state of obvious panic, she called for help, saying "Help...I can't turn the darned thing off!!!"
One of the more experienced staff members quickly reached in and shut off the ice cream machine, leaving the trainee standing there with a little cup that was designed to hold a 4 inch pile of ice cream and now held a very respectable 10 inch tower that was leaning precariously.
Perplexed, she said, to no one in particular..."now, what am I supposed to do with this?? Throw it out??"
Without skipping a beat, the 10 year old said, with all sincerity ... "Don't worry lady, I'll take it just like that!"
She smiled and poured a scoop of chocolate sauce over it, handing it to the lad.
When it was my turn to order, I asked for two of those "Help, I can't turn the darned thing off!" sundaes.
I got two regular sized ones...which is probably a good thing.....really. Honest.
I took our sundaes out to the car and told Susan about the exchange inside and we got a chuckle out of the young lad's quick response to the situation.
Several minutes later, the young man emerged from the restaurant and held the door open for ... his mother. As they walked, he wrapped an arm around her, giving her a warm, and very public hug. Together, they walked, arm in arm across the parking lot to their car where she let him in, holding the door for him.
As they drove past, we could see they were involved in a happy conversation. It warms the heart.
Life is good today.
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