In these tough times, it’s nice to hear a good news story — and one of those comes from Belleville.
It happened on Monday morning at a Walmart in that city. The bottom line, at least in this case, was the kindness of a stranger during the pandemic as one man’s grocery bill was paid by someone else at the checkout.
Ken Norman was the recipient of the gesture.
For whatever reason, Norman’s credit card didn’t work, nor did his debit card. Thinking he had forgotten the correct PIN, he then said to the cashier that he should go and call his wife, because she’ll remember the number.
The cashier called Norman closer and said not to worry, that a woman in the lineup had just paid his bill. He couldn’t believe it.
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“I felt pretty humbled, somewhat embarrassed and tears were flowing down my cheeks,” Norman said.
“I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving. I could hardly speak to the lady.”
Norman, who just celebrated his 90th birthday, is a retired United Church minister. When asked whether he thought it was because people are more giving or more generous during what we’re currently experiencing, he offered the following thoughts, reading what had happened to him.
“I read she’s a woman of great love and compassion, and she was bent on in this terrible time, this fearful time, she was bent on helping someone else,” he said.
“I could pay for the groceries without difficulty and yet … did it without me asking her, and for that I’ll always be grateful.”
Norman says Monday’s good deed ranks highly in the positive experiences of his 90 years.
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