A GAME YOU'RE INVITED TO PLAY

The most miserable people live in their own little worlds of
isolation. They do very little for others and rarely have much fun.

I heard of one older gentleman who was considered by the townspeople
to be both rich and thrifty. His austerity earned him the reputation
of a miser. When he died, everyone expected the authorities to find
money stashed everywhere in his home. All they found were a few gallon
cans filled with coins.

It came out that he had used most of his money to help put needy young
students through college. And the coins filled his pockets as he
walked down the streets of the business districts looking for cars
whose parking meters had expired. When he found one, he would drop in
a coin. One of his neighbors commented, "That explains why he looked
so happy and contented!"

Of course! People who go out of their way to help others will always
be happy.

When I lived in Denver, I decided to do the same thing. I always have
more coins in my pockets than I need, so whenever I parked on a busy
street I noticed the parking meters around me. If one was expired, I
put in a coin.

Then I learned something disturbing. It is illegal to do that in
Denver! (The government found a new way to take a bit of fun out of my
life....) Once I learned that I was breaking the law, I quit looking
for meters to feed. And I lost that extra bit of joy I used to receive
every time I anonymously aided a fellow motorist.

I have moved away from Denver now and I just might go back to feeding
an expired meter from time to time. I don't know how the city council
feels about my little gifts to unsuspecting drivers, but I know how it
feels to be unavoidably late returning to a parked car, and worrying
about whether the meter has run out. And if I have to look over my
shoulder before I deposit a coin, then somehow I think that may be
more fun! It can be a game: do something good and don't get caught!

Everyone is allowed to play.

__________

Steve Goodier Publisher@... is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love
and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.