Tonight at school a man approached me (his name was Michael) and asked me for some money so that he and his wife could get a bus ride home. Having hustled money in my past, I thought the sound of his story sounded a little familiar.
I told him I had no money, and that all I had was a sandwich and two oranges from my tree. I needed the sandwich to get me through a two hour Greek class, but I was willing to let go of my oranges if he were hungry.
He didn't know what to do, but he politely took the oranges anyway. Later that night, after my class had let out, I was going to my car to head home when I heard someone shout, "Hey, Orange man!"
There he was, running after me with a great big smile on his face. Greeting me by my car he said that after I gave him the oranges, a woman passed by him admiring the fruit. When he told her the story of how he obtained them, she offered to give him $5 for the two oranges. He told me how he hated to beg for money, and that tonight he felt like he worked for it. The money was just what he needed to get home on.
Kindness surprised both of us, and made some other stranger happy as well because I grow some fine tasting oranges.
(FOLLOW UP)
Last week of the spring quarter at school, I ran into Michael who saw me in a crowd and came up to me. He remembered me and wanted to introduce me to his wife. He was still looking for work, but said he was trying to help people in more need than him. He said h
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