MOG #61: Kindness from strangers

This past week on the My Moments of Gratitude Facebook page, there was a call to write an MOG in/around 200 words. Happy to say THREE fine gentleman took us up on that offer. Here is the first, from our good friend Ryland. One of the most sincere, funny, honest and genuine people I've met this year. This is the guy you go to when you need a life chat- there's always a word of wisdom in his stories, hidden behind hilarious anecdotes and an easy-going demeanour. He is one of those people that instantly make you feel at ease. He made my year, this story will likely make your night and a few years ago- a random act of kindness made for an experience of a lifetime... 

This moment of gratitude is a couple of years old, but its a good one to remember.

During my second year of university, I had taken my girlfriend out for dinner for her birthday at a restaurant on King St. Her birthday is at the beginning of March, so it was cold, snowing, and generally miserable to be anywhere outside of a warm blanket. We weren't sure about our plans for the evening post-dinner - poor weather and the financial situation of a student combined to limit the options available - so we figured we'd go to the movies. We were enjoying our dessert when a waiter (not ours) came up to our table and asked us what our plans for the evening. He then instructed me to follow him over to another table in the restaurant where a couple similar in age to us sat. They proceeded to tell me that they had tickets to that evening's performance of The Phantom of the Opera a couple of blocks away but couldn't attend and asked if we'd like the tickets. 

I had no money and started to tell them so, but they stopped me: "No worries. Just take them. It's better they get used than for them to go to waste. But you better leave now because the doors will be closing in ten minutes."

Long story short, we took the tickets, hauled ass through a couple of alleys and got into the theatre just in time to find that not only were the tickets free, but that they were unbelievable seats.

That couple turned what could have been a mediocre birthday for my girlfriend into an amazing memory. I also look back on that night as a reminder that there are awesome people in the world and that any time you have an opportunity to make someone else's life better, you should use it. I try to do this as often as I can and I hope one day I can hit the level of awesomeness that those people did that night.