Pay it forward

To the editor,

Dec. 27 was an ordinary winter day in Seaside. I mailed the last of my Christmas cards, then contended with a pedestrian crossing the street against the light.

Afterward, I felt I had been too rude. It was rainy and windy; perhaps he was cold and wet.

Not feeling the Christmas spirit, I parked downtown. Dodging other rude drivers, I walked to Dundees for hot coffee and something to eat. The service was rather slow as it was lunchtime and lots of people were in town.

As I was finishing my chili burger, the server, a pleasant young woman, informed me that she was buying my lunch so don’t wait for the check. Since we were strangers, I asked her why. She replied that she was passing on the spirit of the season, what had been done for her. She thought me to be a nice man. I remembered the frightened pedestrian and knew otherwise.

Nevertheless, I left Dundees a hundred pounds lighter convinced that the Christmas spirit still lives in our lovely town.

Thank you young woman! A happy New Year to you and yours. I will pass on what I have been given.

Dennis Allwein

Seaside