Random Acts of Kindness

One of the first things we checked out as we first drove down the waterfront main street in St. Ignace was check to see if a local Chinese restaurant was open. It had not been when we were there this past Fall. Luckily, it was.

Upon walking in the eatery it appeared like any other diner-style restaurant. This one happened to have a spectacular view across the street, across the town harbor and across the seemingly infinite expanse of Lake Huron beyond.

We waited patiently for a table right by the front window. There were only about 15 tables in the entire establishment; they offered carry-out, too. We sat right inside the large front window. Jeff's 'Black Beauty' was parked on the street immediately outside.

As we dined on our amazing appetizers we noticed a car pull in to park in the space immediately behind Jeff's brand-new Mercedes. It was a total clunker. It was proof-positive that Michigan has no vehicle inspection laws. A woman dressed in hospital scrubs got out from the passenger side; a guy in a T-shirt and grease-stained jeans got out from the driver's side. We commented they might have driven over an hour for their 'night-on-the-town' in St. Igance. The guy walked up to the parking meter. There were two meters on a common post. We hadn't taken any notice to them. The guy put a coin in for his vehicle. He saw that the meter for Jeff's space was in 'violation' and put in a coin for him, too. They then came inside and were seated in a booth against the one wall.

There is a definite cultural difference between where I live in Pennsylvania and the people in Michigan. The people there are inherently 'nice.' His gesture was proof-positive of that. That would never happen here; the thought would never enter one of the 'locals' minds. We talked about it as we ate THE BEST Chinese/Thai food I have EVER eaten. The food was incredible; my meal is pictured above. Who would have thought such fine food in such a modest place with a stunning view.

When we were finished eating and went to pay the tab, Jeff looked at our server and said, 'See those people in that booth?' as he pointed to the couple parked behind us. She said, 'Yes.' He handed her a $20 bill and told her what he had done. He told her, 'Please put this on their tab.' She understood and eagerly agreed.

How cool is that?