The Kindness of Strangers

Cheap plastic isn't as sturdy as it used to be.  Two of my moulded plastic balcony chairs succumbed to sun and salt air fatigue and had to be replaced.  Getting them to my car for transport to the dump was fairly easy, if a bit awkward.  But they fit easily in the back seat and off I went.

At the dump a very nice man took them from my car and threw them into a dumpster.  Adios old chairs.  I thanked him and drove on to find replacements. 

At my third stop I struck gold.  A pair of steel frame/mesh seat and back chairs at a two-pack price for little more than I'd  paid for plastic.  Perfect.  Stackable.  Fairly easy to get to the checkout and then to my car. 

Then I hit a snag. 

The damned chairs wouldn't fit in my compact car.  I cleaned out the trunk.  Nope.  Wouldn't fit.  Tried the back seat.  Nope.  A man about to get into a nearby truck noticed my dilemma.  Could he help me?  Absolutely. 

It took about fifteen minutes, moving car seats and opening windows but at last the chairs were in my car.  One on the back seat, the other in the front passenger seat.  Oh, how I longed for the days when I had a hatchback.  I thanked the man profusely for his help and asked if he'd like to follow me home to get the chairs out of my car.  We both laughed.  Off we went in different directions.

I drove home at a snail pace.  Getting the chairs out of my car was a lot easier than getting them in.  One at a time, out of the car, up the stairs to my condo, and out to the balcony.  I hope they last forever.

I am grateful for the kindness of strangers.  Otherwise I'd still be in the store parking lot.  To the man in the truck, thank you.  Your kindness saved my day.

Penny Pincher