More Than They Asked For: Making a Difference
My very first job ever was working as a stock clerk at Toys R Us when I was 16 years old. I remember how excited I was at the prospect of working at one of my favorite stores ever; I was pumped! My dad used to take me to Toys R Us when I was much younger and I just had great memories there. I talked about that in my interview and I got the job. While my time working at TRU wasn’t quite as nice as the shopping trips my dad would take me on, there was one experience I had there that I will never forget.
The Summer of ‘98
It was my first summer of freedom. I had turned 16 the previous December and I was lucky enough to pass my driving test soon after. It was time for me to earn some cold, hard cash. I wanted a job. I needed a job. So I got a fancy resume out there into the hands of anyone who would take it. (I was a computer nerd back then as well so you better believe these resumes were fancy and in full color.) As previously mentioned, this adventure landed me a job at Toys R Us—where a kid could be a kid! What I didn’t know then was I was going to learn a lot about helping kids be kids.
The Busy Season
Summer quickly turned to fall. School started and while I probably should have quit my job and focused on school, the $7.25/hour was just too much to give up. (Unfortunately this was still the case the next spring when volleyball season came around and I decided to work instead of play—a decision I still regret today.) As we approached the Christmas season the hours got longer and the workforce got bigger. I even hooked up my friend Kris with a job.
It was great. I loved seeing parents coming in to buy gifts for their kids in secret. Dads asking me about bikes and if I thought their kid would like it. Moms asking about the difference between two baby dolls. All while Christmas songs played on Toys R Us radio. I didn’t mind one bit that I worked late almost every day and the long shift on Saturday. I loved it.
One evening (I bet it was like a Thursday) I was working the floor when I was approached by a nice middle-aged woman. She asked me where the video games were. It shouldn’t take too much imagination to believe that I knew exactly where those bad boys were. I told her I’d gladly show her where they were and I did.
“Here y’are. Anything specific I can help you find ma’am?” I asked.
Confused By Kindness
The lady pulled out a list and I saw the words “Super Nintendo” listed below a number of other items that had been scratched out. She told me that was what she was looking for and I pointed her to them (they were literally right in front of us). She looked at the Super Nintendo on the shelf and then glanced at the more expensive Nintendo 64s.
“Why is this one more expensive?”
I told her that the N64 was relatively new and the latest and greatest (I wasn’t a salesman, but I knew my video games). She told me she’d take three. THREE?! I was so confused. I told her that she only needed one console and she could get multiple games for it. She laughed and explained.
You see, each year this woman and her husband participated in a Salvation Army service program where they would get a list of kids and what they wanted for Christmas. This particular year the kids on her list wanted Super Nintendos—a console that was grandfatherly at this point, pushing its 7th year. However, this lady saw that there was something better and got that instead.
Lessons Learned
I’ve thought a lot about this experience over the last almost 30 years. How did the kids feel when they opened those N64s? Were they pumped? Perhaps a couple of them are in these viral videos floating around on Instagram. Who knows. But I know that I was touched by the example of this lady (and her husband).
Oftentimes I think we do the opposite. We see a “Super Nintendo” on our lists and we reach for the “NES” on the bottom shelf and tell ourselves it’s better than nothing. But as I have had opportunities to emulate this generous lady, I have truly come to understand why she did it. It made her happy. It brought her joy. She didn’t need to know the kids. She didn’t need to be thanked. She took what was asked for and gave more and she felt great about it.
And we all can feel that same goodness too. Go out there today and do a little extra for someone in need. You’ll love how you feel about it afterwards.