Every now and then people still have the ability to surprise me.

Maybe I've just been in customer service for too long and although I am nice to people, I never make a habit of expecting anything from them in return as far as politeness. A 'thank you' that has now become an insincere platitude rather than a genuine appreciation for a service being done is what I've come to accept.

Every now and then I'll get a customer who asks how I'm doing, not because it immediately follows 'Fine, thanks' and is a an automatic response to when I ask how they are doing but because they are really wanting to know how I am doing.

Having said that, I'd like to throw a little shout out to a guy in a convenience store.

Ok, so it's Sunday, I'd gone to bed late the night before, gotten up early, and driven six hours to Dallas. Pam, David, Ashtunn, Ben, and myself went to Dallas for a concert. We met Pam and Ben's sister Emily, went to dinner and then the concert. Concert protocol usual is, main show goes on or around 9p and has to be off the stage by 11p. 311 put on a really good performance and I had a really great time with my friends.

However, since the concert was on a Sunday, and we are all grown up and have to be responsible and stuff, we had to be back at work for Monday. So, what's a group to do? Drive back after the concert of course. I knew Pam and David and Ashtunn would sleep on the way back so I decided to sit shot gun and keep Ben awake. We stopped for gas in Arlington I went inside to get a cup of coffee and when we walk in David starts talking to the clerk. He says that we are from Lubbock and we drove in for the concert and that we are driving back the same night. Pam and David pay for their drinks and as they are walking out I walk up with my cup-o-joe-sephina and the clerk lets me have it for free. He even told us to drive safe.

I guess it's not that big of a deal, but just the same; every now and then people still have the ability to surprise me. That one free cup of coffee absolutely made my night. Maybe it's because coffee is so damn good, maybe it's because I am easily impressed, or maybe it's because I knew that it really would be a rough night and I'd take as much caffeine as I could.

So, I guess Mr. Store Clerk has made an impression on me. I still, am not expecting a ton from every customer I serve, but I'd like to, I guess, pay it forward and make my customer's day and maybe, just maybe, they'd appreciate it as much as I did.

So, thank you Mr. Store Clerk, thank you for making my night.