What goes around comes around in a good way

[Ping898]

So I am on travel for work. Had to go to a conference in Jacksonville and I flew out Sunday night. I was flying one of those regional jets, small plane, like 14 rows, so they oversold the plane of course, and they were looking for volunteers to get off. I didn't hear that annoucement clearly so I went up to see what the guy had said and while I am up there I figure it out and I see that they already have volunteers and the volunteers have seats closer to the front than me (I get motion sick and closer I am to the front better it is for me, being over the wing is not better for me) so I ask the attendent if I can switch seats with the guys who just gave up theirs and he said not really cause technically they haven't given up their seats, only offered to give them up and won't give them up until someone else checks in, but if I hang around the counter until almost the end he might just give out my seat by mistake and give me the other guy's. So I wait, but nothing happens and they start boarding and I decided to just give up and board.
So I tell you all that to preface the fact that I ended up being one of the last to board, not one of the first like I usually am. Well I get on and get to my seat (I had a window seat) and the guy in the aisle seat next to me is of course already there and asks me if I would switch with a woman who I assume was his wife that was in the seat accross the aisle. I don't care so I say yes, and when I sit down I see that now the seat next to me is broken which is sweet, means I get the whole row to myself (no middle seats on the small jets)
Well they get everyone on and the last guy on is a guy training a guide dog and they go and put this guy in a seat, but there are a lot of problems cause they keep putting him in exit rows and you can't do that with dogs and stuff gets worked out so that I notice they are putting him in a seat behind me next to some other guy (the plane is completely full, it's the only seat) and the dog is big (a labradoodle - labrador/poodle hybrid) and is going to have to be at that guy's feet for the whole trip. So I tap him on the shoulder and ask him if it would be better for him and the dog if they have my seat, with the broken one next to me I figure more room for the dog to lie down. The guy says yes that would be great, so I switch, and all is good, he is really happy, thanks me profusely before and after the flight....and we go on with our lives.
Well I am in the conference today and low and behold at the back of the room is this guy and his dog. So I go and say hi, intro myself, etc...
We sit and chat, a few of his coworkers come over and he intros me as the nicest person in the world telling them what I had done for him theprevious night. Then he invited me to dinnner tonight with them to say thanks I said it wasn't necessary, but he said he wanted too, he was in sales needed to take someone out, so I said ok.
So we all went out to Ruth's Chris Steak house, which for anyone who doen't know is a very pricey place, well out of my budget, but really really really gooooood food. So he treated me to dinner. I had a filet and berries and cream for dessert. A delicious meal and very good company.
I just thought it was kewl running into him again and him buying me dinner, it was a nice evening....he told some funny stories about raising guide dogs, he and his coworkers told me about their company, I told them a bit about me, just a nice evening all around.

All because I offered up my "prime" seat to a gentleman that needed more room on a plane.

What goes around comes around in good ways sometimes. Not all good deeds get punished.

 

[Kacey]

That's a great story - good for you, and thanks for sharing!

 

[trav101]

That was karma in full force there. If only everyone would practice generosity like that.... world might be a better place.

 

[Swordlady]

That is such a good story. Things really worked out well for you and your newfound friend. Thank you for sharing.

 

[bluemtn]

That was great! Thanks for sharing!

 

[HKphooey]

Cool! Thanks for posting the story.



....Ruth Chris Steak House rocks! Awesome food!

 

[monkey]

I said it befor & it works for these days yet.If you have the vision & see yourself doing something good.That vision can transpire.This is the theory of visulisation,or in simpler terms You scratch my back & Ill scratch yours.Karma or precog are great to have if you can keep it & build to better yourself & soundings.Its great when you can help others also.Cool story-Grandmaster Parker & Bruce Lee would tell me of simular ways.

 

[terryl965]

It still is nice to hear about good deeds.
Terry

 

[Ping898]

I think what is easy to forget sometimes is that good deeds or common curtosy or whatever you want to call it can be a big deal no matter how small. This guy didn't know it, but for me to switch seats with him was a big deal cause it put me farther back on the plane and on this little puddle jumper planes every row makes a difference in terms of how motion sick I get. Now I never said anything about it to him, so for all he knows, I am just giving up a seat with a bit more room for him and his dog to go to another seat that isn't bad. It is a small plane there are no middle seats so not like I was getting squished in between two people now, but when I saw him again he treated it like it was a very big deal. And though it embarassed me a bit, I also appreciated that he treated it as something more than an event that should have happened.

I have given up prime seats (for me) on planes before and sat in middle seats or worse ones so that people can sit with their loved ones or families and it was treated as nothing more than something that should have happened and do get me wrong I don't mind (that much ) and never expect (or want) anything more than a thank you, but to see how much it really seemed to mean to him, I think was a powerful event to me. I didn't really want to go out, I don't like social situations and am uncomfortable and out of my element so I called my mom to ask if I had to go (don't ask why) and she has taught me that sometimes we do stuff like attend our own retirement parties or something like this not for ourselves but for the other person and in this instance I needed to attend to give him the opportunity to say thank you as he wanted to. At the end I could see she was right. Even though it cost him money, I think he really appreciated having the opportunity to say thank you for what happened on the plane.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Very cool story. What goes around, does indeed, come around. It would be wise for more people to remember that. :asian:

 

[tkd_jen]

Good story Ping!!! It's funny how many people you can influence by doing one good deed. Then that person passes it on and so on and so on, all because of you! Very cool!!