Mr Windex*

I worked a double-header today. 9-2:30 at Smith's and 4-9 at ShopKo. I think the time goes a little faster when I can do it all in one location and I don't have to change it up. Smith's Pharmacy technician ...( or right when I get to ShopKo) ... Smith's Pharmacy ... is up the street, this is ShopKo how can I help you? Ridiculous. However I love both jobs and locations and I was glad I was able to do both even if it did make me think.
I arrived at ShopKo several minutes early so I waited in my car for a bit and ate my lunch. A homeless (or so i assume) man walked up to my car with a bottle of windex and a roll of paper towels. He asked if he could wash my windows and I politely said no. Then as I watched him get denied but other drivers my heart hurt for this cute little guys just looking to help.
When I only had a few minutes before clock in I got out of my car and scowered the parking lot. I had a little bit of cash I could spare and my windows were a little dirty. I found him and asked what he was going to spend the money on. He told me he was hoping to get a room for the night and even though he had been working all day at washing windows, he was about $18.00 short. I wasn't about to give him that much for washing my windows but I did give him all the one-dollar bills in my wallet.
As I handed him the $4.00 he smiled and promised to do a really really good job on my windows. Thinking he would just take the money and run, I felt like a fool as I walked in the entrance and turned around to find him doing just as he had said. The best he could.
I smiled as I walked into the pharmacy and shared my story. I thought about this little man all day long. I wondered if he had raised enough money to get that room he had worked so hard for and part of me hoped he was still in the parking lot so I could make up for what he hadn't earned. I bet I never see this window washer again but I hope that he continues to find those who have a few dollars to give. That $4 probably seemed like a lot more money to him than it did to me but I think I walked away with the bigger lesson. Did I mention that I have the cleanest windows on the block? Love it!