2.06.2011

Charity

My husband works early on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.  So early in fact that sometimes he's up earlier than I am for the paper route, so I get up a few minutes earlier so I can run him to the train.  This has the domino effect of me finishing my route up early, since I"m already up and out the door, might as well head to "work".  This morning was one of those days.  So I'm running along, slinging papers, running about 30 minutes ahead of schedule, and it's a balmy 28 degrees out at about 5:30am.  I get to one of my customers house, where I walk up a flight of snow and ice covered stairs, up a winding path to deliver the paper.  I hate this house.  I'm sure that the person who lives here is physically unable to keep the sidewalk and stairs clear, but it means that every snow fall, the stairs get worse and worse.  I am probably the only one who usese them; I'm sure the mail main crosses the yard from one house to another.  And I found myslef wishing for the millionth time that some neighborly-person would please shovel these stairs!  They had been shoveled out in storm we had back in December, but doubtful since then, and the steps we slowly moving from right-angled to obstus angled.

And then it occured to me.

I had 30 minutes to spare.  It was a warm morning, where the ice would probably come loose.  And I had a shovel in my car, at the ready.

So I decided to be my own change in the world, and I shoveled the stairs.  It felt good.  I was completing a task unbidden.  And although they're not completely clean, I'm now less concerned that I would hurt myself some dark morning.  I might even put some sand and salt down when I come through tomorrow.

But it begged the question:  Is charity still charity if it's in your favor?

I mean, I probably wouldn't have done this for a non-customer because I wouldn't have noticed.  And like I said, no one probably uses those stairs but me.  I didn't even shovel the sidewalk because it felt unneccesary.  But the idea of the homeowner looking outside and seeing the steps clear and wondering, "who did that?" makes me smile.

What do you think?  Would you have done the same?

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