Ringing Bells

Tonight, I did something that is on my long life's to-do list. I rang the Salvation Army bell.

I stood outside a grocery store in the freezing wind, wearing an apron, and ringing a very loud bell for two whole hours. Then, at the end of the night, I signed up to do it all again.

Why?

Because of the faces. I noticed that so many people were smiling. And if they weren't, a simple smile from me was all it took to make them do the same.

Why?

Because of the generosity. At least 70% of the people who passed by me gave something, whether metal or paper-style. They didn't walk away grumbling. They walked away taller. They had just helped. They probably did not really know what they helped... or maybe they did. But they gave. Giving is some sort of release for the human body, like aromatherapy or acupuncture. Tonight, I observed that dropping a coin in a pot has exactly the same effect.

Why?

Because I watched a little boy with special needs drop a handful of money in the bucket one coin at a time. It took several minutes, but there was no Christmas rush for him. I also watched an elderly couple hold hands while creeping across the parking lot. It took quite some time for them to get inside the store, not considering the time it might have taken actually shopping, but there was no holiday hurry for them. Later, I saw a man in a car roll down his window and yell nasty things at another car that had already driven away since he had been delayed for about half a second. All the while, I smiled, rang my bell, and cheered "Merry Christmas!" Why? Because I saw that little boy, and I saw that elderly couple, and what they gave was so much more appealing than what the rushed man in the hurried car was giving away.

So I signed up to do it all again.