What would you do?

 This morning I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items.  It took me about 15 minutes because I decided to use the self check out line.  Those things never work right for me, you would think I have learned my lesson.  As I headed back out to my car with my bags in my hands I noticed a young man sitting on the front bumper of his car.  His car was parked right next to me on the passenger’s side.  He had his face in his hands and looked to be upset and talking to himself.  He might have been 17 or 18 at the oldest.

I walked up to my car.  I hit the button that unlocks the car.  The noise made him pop his head up out of his hands and look up at me.  I popped the trunk open and put my groceries inside.  As I started to close the truck the young man came around the front of the car toward me.

“Hello sir” he said nervously.

 “Hey buddy what’s going on?” I asked.  

“I’m really sorry sir but when I got out of my car, my car door opened really fast and banged into the side of your car.  I didn’t want to go any where until I talked to the owner of the car.” he said.

“Ok buddy, let’s take a look,” I said.

We went around to the passenger side to take a look at the door.  My car is really old and has a lot of scratches.  I looked over the door and there in the middle I saw the smallest little scratch with just a dab of paint from the side of his car. 

I took a couple minutes and looked over it.  I then turned to him and said.

“I really appreciate you sticking around.  I don’t see anything at all from your car door.  Thanks for doing the right thing.  Hope you have a great day buddy.”

He smiled at me and walked on toward the Food Lion. 

Do you know how many times I have let my door hit another car and I haven’t done anything about it.  I just went on about my day.  But this young man stayed to talk to me.  Yes he was scared, upset, worried, probably one of the first times he has been out with the car himself.  He could of easily left without saying anything and gotten away with it.  Even if it was a big dent, it would have been on the passenger side of the car and how many of us look at that side before we leave the parking lot?

I am thankful for when people do the small things, when people care enough about others to talk to people about issues with their personal belongings. 

What would you do?