People never cease to amaze me. Today I received a gift, not from a family member or a friend, but from a person I had met just once. 5 days ago I was enjoying my coffee at the local diner while writing christmas cards to friends and family back home and around the world. A gentleman who was sitting a few seats down from me was cheerily making conversation with the waitress. His positive tone of voice was infectious and he was the sort of guy who always had a good story to tell. You find yourself sitting there in silence secretly wishing they would speak to you so you could join in the conversation. To my great delight he commented on the food that was placed in front of me (the delicious BLT from Templeton! sooo good!). That was enough to kick start an hours worth of convo about all things good; food, travelling, philosophy, the works! He had many stories for me, all of which had a lesson involved. A true teacher. A wise man who had an experience behind every word.

Before I knew it I had to head off to work and he had to continue on his merry way. We decided to exchange details, he gave me his business card and I gave him mine, I happened to mentioned that it was my last one. He kindly offered just to write down my details and save me having to give out my last card. I then told him that I was a cook up the road and that when he was in town again I would be happy to cook him dinner. He accepted.

I didn't see him the day I was expecting but he came in a day later when I wasn't in and gave a co-worker of mine something to give to me.

It was a RAK. A Random Act of Kindness.

He had gone and pre purchased 250 business cards at a local printer so that I could go and get more business cards made up.

To put it simply, it wasn't cheap, he never had to do it, he may never see me again, but he did it anyway. He did it anyway.

He made my day. I can't stop smiling as I write this. It is the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for me and I will never forget it.

Thank you Mike.

You showed me great kindness, and I will go on and do the same for someone else. I hope whoever is reading this takes inspiration from this story and goes on and does the same. What goes around comes around folks. That's the moral of this story.

Merry Christmas, and cheers to a very happy and adventurous 2011.

Dale Tidy