Day: October 20, 2022

It was frustrating living at my aunt’s home in the sense that every single store you could imagine was only 5-10 miles down the road. Why’s that frustrating? Because they are located in the county that I was told I can’t go to. The county that I’m from is huge in comparison to many other counties in my area. The insanity of it is that I was over an hour away from the folks that I needed to stay away from. However, I could easily have moved to the opposite county to a town that would have put me closer to them. I’m not vengeful like that though. I’m just merely pointing out a ridiculous fact. So, every time that I want to shop or do anything, I would have to drive at least a half hour in another direction. I do a lot of online shopping. I always have, so I figured out pretty quick that it was easier for me to order something online and have it delivered from one of the stores I physically couldn’t go to. This just amazed my aunt. I like learning and seeing new places, so me driving to other areas gave me a chance to see things I never had before. Yet, I spent a lot of time at the local McDonald’s. I didn’t spend it there to sit and eat, there was a few occasions that I needed to bum their WIFI. I had internet that I purchased at my aunt’s house, however there were a few times when it would act up and it was easier to just go up there until the problem resolved itself. (Thank the Lord I have better service now). Speaking of the Lord, this McDonald’s gave me a chance to meet some of the locals. There is an elderly man that works at the one I would frequent. He loves his job, and he just puts a smile on everyone’s face that he encounters. I had gotten to know him from going up and spending a lot of time there. Later, I discovered that he and my aunt were friends. It was so adorable, because her one friend would call her and see if she was coming to McDonald’s on Saturday evening to meet them. A group of her and these folks would meet there every week to catch up. I think in a way, it was the local watering hole for them, minus the booze. They were just a group of good Christian locals chewing the fat and gossiping about this or that. This older gentleman that works there, he has a girlfriend. She would sit there and converse with the others while he worked, waiting for him to get off. So, the things we do as a teen we end up doing later in life? It was just so freaking cute. During one of my last few visits to this McDonald’s, a new person had started. I don’t know if the gentleman switched his hours, if he decided that he was old enough and no longer needed the job. I missed seeing him. His replacement, whether temporary or not was just as delightful. My final visit there, I spoke to the Manager, and he said that he hired this young lady. I told him that she was definitely a keeper. She would come and check on me, knew my name by the end of the first day and remembered it when I returned the next day. She was helpful to anyone who came in, and you couldn’t help but to smile watching her interact with everyone. During these times of visiting this establishment, I felt very depressed. The Lord knew that I needed someone with this bubbly personality to help me shine again. I ended up having to return to going there multiple days because a storm came through the area and knocked out the internet and phones near my aunts. I had to complete some online paperwork relevant to our move. It was then that the Lord wanted to remind me that even though my sparkle was dull, his light still could shine through others to brighten my day. Be kinder than necessary, because you just never know how you can affect someone elses day without realizing it.