I had a tiny “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment last night.
I often order my food Amazon Fresh either due to the pandemic or temporarily not being able to drive. When I do, I like to leave an “analog” tip that goes right into the drivers’ pockets rather than online. It’s not a lot, but honestly, I think it must be a grueling job, one that helps me tremendously, and I appreciate the people who do it.
I can see via the Amazon site when they are nearby, so I put their name plus “Amazon” on an envelope containing the tip (and maybe a “thank you!”) and leave it sticking out from the welcome mat. But the drivers are rushing and often do not see it, so I try to catch them if I haven’t called them ahead of time to let them know to look for it.
I had never thought of how meaningful it might be, in that it says, “I see you, and appreciate what you’re doing for me”.”
Last night I happened to see the driver, a young woman, as she was leaving, and called out to her to make sure she found it and also to thank her. I asked if she saw the envelope.
She said, “This was the first time anyone EVER acknowledged me! Ever! Thank you so, so much!”
Acknowledge?
Now, I had always thought of my modest tip as a small part of fair compensation, part of an “every little bit helps” contribution, but never had I thought my appreciation might mean anything, much less considered it as acknowledgement.
I had never thought of how meaningful it might be beyond a few bucks, in that it also says “I see you, and appreciate what you’re doing for me” to someone who is one of over a million employees of a huge conglomerate, who might feel like a cog in a machine. Or how alienating it might feel to deliver food and supplies under considerable time pressure to the homes of people she will never see.
Maybe I am being a bit too dramatic. Maybe it’s not that big a deal. And yet… I may not have Zuzu’s petals in my pocket, but that young woman’s words stayed with me through the evening, and reminded me how the even smallest good deed comes back to us in some form, whether we intend that or not.