Good Samaritan

Thursday, May 27, 2010

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I had a very interesting run-in with a complete stranger yesterday.

I was on a quick dinner break and going to pick up a chicken breast sandwich from Subway (no cheese, lots of veggies, no sauces). There’s a guy in line in front of me with his 10-year old son. We move through the line giving out our condiment request to the preparer behind the counter. Both of us sort of finished about the same time and standing in front of the cash register, the guy hands the clerk a $20 and says “put his on my tab, too.”

I was stunned. I sort of looked at him like I wasn’t sure what he had just ordered and he just smiled. Finally, when I got some words to actually pass through my brain I stammered out, “Did you just buy my sandwich?” He nodded and said, “There are still some good people in the world, pass it on.”

I looked down at the little boy and smiled at him as he stared at me like I was an alien. “Your daddy is cool.” His face lit up.

What does this have to do with exercise? Well, nothing on the surface really. I could make up some sort of connection and make it sound like this was a lesson to be learned about how to be the best that you can be through every full repetition. But really, it doesn’t have anything to do with that.

I made a promise to myself to return that favor. I’ll start with once a month, doing something just because I can. Pass it on because there really are still some good people in this world. And you never know who’s day you’ll make by finding that smile.

Mike Babbitt, M.F.A, M.A., CSCS, ACSM-HFI

USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Master Trainer

Mike is a Master Level trainer at Empower Personal Training. He has a unique approach to fitness that combines his scientific foundation of research and applied exercise physiology with his artistic experience as a professional stage actor. For more information about Empower Personal Training please call (919) 401-8024