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snaggle

And don't you think I should have had some say in that decision

by snaggle at 10:43 PM on July 17, 2005

One of the most interesting things about growing up in a place like Iowa is seeing the stark contrast between one's hometown and where one chooses to live after that. I was raised in Iowa and went to school there (mostly because of a scholarship) but I was always dreaming of the day when I could leave the corn-drenched state and move somewhere a little bit more exciting. For every person that's nascent and raised in Iowa and plans to stay there for their entire lives, there are probably five others just biding their time until they can leave. And of course, now that I'm in L.A., I've left behind the hogs and corn and found.... well, I've found something different that suits me better. Yet what really gives me pause is how much similar people are here to those back home.

When you grow up in the Midwest, you really become accustomed to the genality, hard-working ethic, and general good-will people have towards one another, even if they're strangers. Now, this isn't always the case, but it happens far more often than not. Leaffin recently spoke of her experiences in Central and South America and how she was slightly surprised by the kindness of strangers. She and I grew up in the same town in Iowa and went to school together; even there, we would have been surprised by someone just out and saying "come back another day with the money." But small change, a few dollars here and there, doesn't matter so much. It didn't happen to me often back in Iowa, but every now and then.

What I didn't expect was to find it here, in L.A. Today I was in a rather foul mood, and to alleviate that I did what any 20-something guy would do : I decided to have a couple drinks. However, I realized that I had very little drinkable in my apartment, save the large bottle of Absolut in my freezer, and I wasn't about to shoot that. So, since I live in a fairly convenient neighborhood, I went to the liquor store down the street.

West Hollywood is a very Russian area for some reason; or perhaps it's not in its entirety, but around my block it certainly is. Most of my neighbors are Russian, many of the businesses are Russian-owned, and even many of the store signs are purely in Russian. Granted, most of my fellow West Hollywood residents are actually from the Ukraine or other former Soviet states, but it's still intriguing to see the culture and to hear Russian spoken as often as English and to see Cyrillic signs everywhere.

The liquor store down the block from me is Russian owned; the owner and a gent I believe to be his son are often speaking in a foreign tongue to customers. All I can comprehend is "Spacieba." But I think the ethic of people has translated across linguistic boundaries..... or maybe West Hollywood isn't as L.A. as other places in the city.

I went to purchase some beer and Red Bull (not all for tonight) and I found that for a bill of $24 and change I had only $23. Now this is a very small difference, truly, and I knew that I had more money back in my apartment. I didn't have my debit card on hand, since I lost it yesterday (and the accursed person who retrieved it from the ATM after I'd left it there (which I'd never done before—why do they even have ATMs that still keep your card instead of just a swipe) withdrew $500 and then attempted to take out more. Thankfully, the bank will reimburse me for that.). I said I lived just down the street and I'd be back in a moment with the full amount. However, the cashier said to take my purchases and just "come back later with the money." I agreed, and as I walked back to my apartment, it struck me how I really didn't expect treatment like this anywhere in L.A. I've seen people turned away for having less than a dollar short for things before; indeed, I've even seen the homeless in my neighborhood turn down an offering that was less than a dollar.

I walked back to my apartment, deposited my items in the fridge, and walked back to the store. It was rather hot out (which is slightly unusual in L.A., though it is in California) and so I was sweating a bit once I got back to Liquor Time (yes, that's really its name.) And as I handed the cashier the additional two dollars I had lacked before, he asked "What was the total again? $24?" and I replied "$24 something." He attempted to hand be back one of the dollars, and I waved it away. An additional 50-odd cents wasn't going to hurt me, and it wouldn't really help them, either. But yet, it seemed kind enough to do, in order to repay his kindness.

Trust: is it easier to give when small losses are concerned? I'm tempted to say yes, but yet, there have been a couple times with amounts over $20 were given to me, with no expectation of repayment.

These are the things that make me remember that we do live a good world.

comments (2)

My mom delights in those times where she gets the better end of the deal with cashiers and it drives me nuts. She's my mom and a saint in all other matters. But this one thing just smacks of dishonesty.

I'd of done the same thing you did. Then again, I've been on a quest to right all the wrongs of my youth for years now: Burglary, firebombing, dealing.... and so on.

by anna at July 18, 2005 8:32 PM


When you're given a $20 bill, that's not goodness, that's 'DRUNKEDNESS"

by lockheed at July 18, 2005 11:53 PM