Go Lions!

I should tell you right off, the Walmart Supercenter in my town is the bane of my existence.  I avoid it at all costs.  I go to every other retailer in town before I go there, but unfortunately yesterday it couldn't be helped.  I had to shop at The Beast.  I prefaced the trip with a talk to Grayson and Grant that began with the guidelines of good behavior and ended in a bribe.  Shameless?  Maybe.  Worth it?  yup.  At the end of the one and a half hours in Hades, they had earned their reward.  They each chose a mylar balloon from beside the register, and they were just thrilled. 

So, fast forward to the parking lot.  The boys are waiting in the car as I was loading groceries, and this man walked up and said, "I like your shirt!  (I was wearing a Detroit Lions sweatshirt that Jeff had given me).  I moved down here from Michigan, and they started winning!"  I was on the verge of telling him that I've never even seen them play, I just chose a comfy shirt, when Grayson's balloon got caught in the wind, sucked out of the car, and flew past the man and me.  He tried to catch it and missed and then took off running after it!  I gotta tell you, I didn't think there was any way he would catch it.  It was all the way across the parking lot in seconds.

Of course, at this point Grayson was in tears.  Big time.  I jumped in the car, and told him we'd go see if we saw either balloon or the man anywhere.  As we rounded the turn, there he was!  He was striding across the parking lot balloon in hand!  I couldn't believe he had run all that way to catch a balloon for a complete stranger and her kid.  I thanked him and told him he was our hero, and he's like, "I had to run about a mile to get it, but that's okay.  Anything for a LIONS FAN!"  Almost makes me feel like I should watch a game sometime!

Comments

[Megan]

how great! makes me all fuzzy inside to know that someone would do that. It's the little things you know

[Chris in Oxford]

Great story! There are still lots of nice people around.

I loath WalMart with the heat of a thousand suns! I think they destroyed downtown America. Also a nightmare to shop at the places.

[Joey]

Dawn hates Wal-mart too. We pay a little more for the peace she gets in Publix. But they still cannot keep stocked the Millstone Kenya AA! Oh well, good to know that others know about good coffee. There are times that I have just wanted to give up on the world, but it is good to hear of a heart like the man chasing the balloon across the parking lot. I would do it too just to see the tears dry and the smile return to the face of God's innocent child. May we all be that unrehearsed.

[Dawn]

Makes you want to go the extra mile againg, doesn't it?

I have been out of WalMart for sometime now, Publix is my fav, so peaceful and CLEAN!!! I would love for the world to return to old time grocers that knew you by name. That would be lovely!!!

[Expat Mom]

Wow, that´s great that someone would do that for a complete stranger. Good thing you wore a comfy shirt! ;)

P.S. I would not have minded having a girl and maybe we´ll adopt on in the future (no more childbirth for me, thanks), but I´m very, very happy with my boys! :D

[foolery]

I lost my daughter's balloon out of the trunk last week, and it went straight UP. Y'all must have different air in the south! Nice man -- nice to hear good stuff once in a while, too.