Kind of Cranky

Day 133

I didn't make it a whole week with out spending any money on kindness. Today I'm out 50 cents. But it feels like less because I spent it in dimes.

At the lake near our house there is a great little arcade. Besides the usual games, there are also old fashioned penny, nickel and dime machines. There is one in particular where you put a dime in and the crane grabs some candy and drops it in the drawer. This has always been a favorite of my kids. When they were younger they named it Cranky after the crane on Thomas the Train. You are almost always guaranteed some candy for a dime. And if the machine is being particularly stingy, John, the man who runs the arcade, will fluff it up to increase the chances of making a good grab. My kids know that when we say “no more money for the arcade” that if they say “how about some dimes for Cranky?” we will usually acquiesce.

Today I left five dimes right by Cranky. I have to admit, I really wanted to see someone find them and get some claws full of candy. I know I am suppose to be satisfied by just knowing that a random act of kindness may bring joy, but sometimes, I'm just not that big of a person.

I hung around the arcade a bit, and walked by the machine several times. The stack of dimes was still there. Realizing that there is fine line between being creepy and being kind, and that an adult hanging around a candy machine waiting for children just might cross that line, I went and took a swim. When I returned, the dimes were gone.

Here's hoping that Cranky was kind.