Day 256: Overtipped My Server

I've been telling friends and family lately that the opportunity for kindness is always all around us, we just have to look for it.  Unfortunately, the opportunity for kindness is sometimes a byproduct of others acting in an unkind manner.  Take what happened to me today for instance.  At around Noon, I became incredibly hungry (truth be told, I got hungry at like 10:45 but I was able to hold it off until after my 11 o'clock appointment).  I was driving around near the border of Chicago and Evanston trying to find some place to eat.  Surprisingly, there wasn't much around that really struck me, so I decided to stop in a Baker's Square.  I figured that it would be quick and cheap, so I pulled in.  As I scanned the menu, I was greeted by Pattie, a sweet senior citizen, who was potentially the most cheerful server I have had in quite some time.  I am extremely indecisive when it comes to choosing food items, so Pattie helped me ultimately choose the Coconut Chicken Salad after I had flip flopped between that and a turkey melt for 3-4 minutes.  She also informed me that it was free pie day (I opted for only a few bites of a very small piece as to not negate my choice of a salad.  While I was enjoying my salad, I overheard another table being completely rude to Pattie because of something she had no control over.  On top of that, after the people left, I heard a couple of Pattie's co-workers talking about how they stiffed her on her tip.  This isn't to brag, but I am generally a good tipper.  I worked as a bus boy for a few months in college, and I saw first hand how stressful the occupation can be, as well as how important tips are to their livelihood.  So today, for my random act of kindness, I overtipped my waitress by giving what I thought would cover a 20% tip for both my bill and the bill of the rude couple.  Just remember to think about yourself in someone else's shoes before you choose to mistreat them.