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Pay It Forward: It's the Little Things...

By
Real Estate Agent with Beringer Realty

Pay it ForwardPay It Forward: It's the Little Things...

**This post is part of the "Pay It Forward" Active Rain group, the purpose of which is to share and encourage one another to do good and spread kindness. Feel free to post a comment below telling me about your own "Pay It Forward" moment!**

This week's pay it forward moment was nothing extraordinary or life-altering, but I like to think that maybe it made someone's day a little easier.

Here in Champaign-Urbana we had some pretty nasty winds earlier this week, strong enough to cause some damage and power outages. As I came out of the grocery store and went to put my cart in the "cart return", I noticed that the other carts were strewn in every direction. Not one was lined up with the other.

Now I realize that it's someone's job to come straighten the carts and then haul them back into the store, and this someone will get paid for the work. But I've never understood why many people won't take a single second longer when putting their carts away to line them up together so the worker's job is perhaps just a touch easier. And especially when the weather is icky like it was this week.

So I took a minute or two and straightened the carts that were already there. Once I got back to my car, my hair was knotted up like a bird's nest from the wind :) But I felt satisfied knowing that the worker, whoever he or she may be, might be relieved upon discovering that at least one of the cart returns was all stacked up and ready to go.

Often it's the little things in life that matter.

 

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Shannon Lewis is a Realtor® and broker at Beringer Realty located in Urbana, Illinois. She and her partner, Debbie Hensleigh, help home buyers and sellers in Urbana, Champaign, Savoy, and many other surrounding communities.

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To contact Shannon with a question, for real estate assistance, or just to say "hey!":

call 217-552-8059, or email Shannon@HomeplaceAdvisors.com

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY
Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

Everything we do helps...nice gesture!

Oct 31, 2010 03:30 AM
Barbara Hensley
RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX
Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

True!  It is the little things that add so much to our days.  I am often much more touched by the little things than the big causes that are heavily promoted (good too!).

 

Oct 31, 2010 03:30 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Shannon, this is true. I know that if I was in that parking lot, I would have appreciated it. There's nothing worse than going into a store and coming back to your car to find shopping carts touching your car because someone didn't take the time to put them away properly. I'm sure the bag boys who have to collect those carts really appreciated it too. After all, it's probably their first job and getting minimal wages as they pay their dues to the company store.

Oct 31, 2010 03:32 AM
Liz Wallace
Century 21 Sherlock Homes - Rockville Centre, NY
Broker C21 Sherlock Homes, Rockville Centre, LI, N

I think in life it is the small, unexpected kindness that moves us the most.

Oct 31, 2010 03:33 AM
Retired from ActiveRain
Baker, OR

In high school I worked as a bagger / carryout at a local grocery store.  Part of my job was to occasionally gather shopping carts in the parking lot and bring them into the store.  I can relate to your act of kindness, making someone's job a little easier.

Even today I'll wheel a cart from the parking lot into the store instead of getting my cart inside the store.  One less cart for someone to bring in.  Or I'll take the cart from someone who has just finished unloading their groceries into their car.  It saves them a trip to the cart corral.  Little things can make a difference.

Oct 31, 2010 03:34 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Shannon, Every thought and gesture helps. You may have saved a car from being hit with one of the carts.

Oct 31, 2010 03:40 AM
Shannon Lewis
Beringer Realty - Champaign, IL
Realtor, Broker - Champaign-Urbana, IL

Thanks, Larry & Sheila.

Barbara- I feel the same way.

Patricia- Exactly. Some people have complete disregard for the way in which their actions might affect others negatively. Hopefully, this small act affected someone positively.

Liz- I completely agree. When you have the opportunity to do some small, unexpected kindness, I say take it!

Rick- So very true. Your little acts no doubt have an impact!

Oct 31, 2010 03:48 AM
Shannon Lewis
Beringer Realty - Champaign, IL
Realtor, Broker - Champaign-Urbana, IL

Kathleen- It was such a nasty, windy day, any cart left outside of the cart return was likely to blow around the parking lot. The little things do matter!

Oct 31, 2010 03:50 AM
Jim Frimmer
HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA
Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

I definitely think you made someone else’s work just a little easier, and they probably are wondering what crazy person straightened up all the carts. Sometimes being a little crazy is a good thing.

Nov 04, 2010 09:28 AM
Shannon Lewis
Beringer Realty - Champaign, IL
Realtor, Broker - Champaign-Urbana, IL

Jim- I love being the "crazy person" most of the time. I'm sure I looked the part, too, with my hair blowing every which way in that wind! LOL

Nov 04, 2010 09:46 AM