This evening I had taken my daughter to the park and was watching her play. At a distance I saw an young boy - may be 14 - walking towards me. Finally he approached me and very hesitatingly asked "Sir would you like to buy these coupons worth $50. We are selling them for $20. This will help me get a scholarship for college. " I think it took me just a second to say "Sorry I do not want it". He immediately said "Thank you sir. Sorry for bothering you". I then watched him walk back the long distance he had come. I immediately felt bad. One for disappointing him and two for disappointing a kid who looked and behaved like a nice kid. Previously many kids have come knocking on our door trying to sell something. They start the sales pitch without giving me a chance to say "I am not interested" By the time they finish, I end up giving a few dollars just to get rid of them. Then I have felt cheated because I see them smoking in the corner. But today I felt this young kid was genuine (after refusing him). I felt I punished a nice kid based on my previous bad experience of being cheated by spoilt kids. Actually to put it in the right perspective, I had punished an innocent and well meaning young boy based on my experience of being cheated by some really undeserving kids. I wish I had not dissappointed that young boy. It was all the more affecting because I was in a similar predicament in my highschool when I was forced to sell stickers to raise funds for some cause. It was a torture to go from friend to friend and from store to store asking them for money. The joy of taking my daugther to the park this evening was muddied by this guilt.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 05:37:28 +0000