I was doing this week's "Wholesome Weekend Date Night" Film Recommendation at my other blog "The Bible & The Biz" and viewing the movie reminded me of a funny memory:
When my older brother and I were the ages of 7 and 10 years old (back in the "olden days" of the still innocent 1970's) our mother was in the hospital for a week and we were being cared for by her Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Al.
At that same time they were travelling by car to their son's wedding many miles away, so we went along.
On the first day of our journey, as we sat down at a restaurant along the way to eat lunch my brother and I each noticed that Uncle Al had left some money on the table that had nothing to do with paying the bill. I asked him about it once we were back in the car and since he was a man of few words he merely explained that it was a 'custom" to leave behind some money for a waitress if the service was very good and she was particularly sweet and helpful.
Neither my brother or I made a comment, but I guess it must have made a similar impression on each of us.
A couple days later we stopped by the home of a lady who was a personal friend of my Great Aunt and Uncle to have lunch.
Once we were back in the car I admitted quite proudly that I had hidden an entire quarter (.25 cents) beneath my plate before we left this lady's house.
My brother got excited and said,
"You did?! So did I!. Exactly .25 cents. Just like you did."
But instead of getting the positive reaction we both expected my Aunt Marilyn got hostile and embarrassed and said she would have to phone immediately at the next phone we passed to call their friend and apologise for our "rude" behaviour.My brother and I looked at each other with deep confusion. Aunt Marilyn explained that to give a tip to a "stranger" in a restaurant was the "right thing", but to give money to a friend was a "huge insult". We got no further explanation, but it left us even more puzzled. To my way of thinking you should leave a "tip" to someone who is a friend even MORE than you should leave one to a stranger.
However, I noticed that on Uncle Al's face a smile was playing around the corners of his mouth (even though he said nothing). So I figured we hadn't really been as bad as Aunt Marilyn had led us to believe.
Now, as an adult, I laugh when I think of that sweet lady clearing the table after we left and finding those two-quarters hidden beneath our two plates.
Oh, I wish the entire world thought and acted more like children. What a better place it would be.
Kids keep things so sweet and simple.
Thanks for listening to another of my memories.
Love Laura-Lee
