Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Fuzzy little puffballs



Last week I went to Del's to buy some chicks. On the way there I stopped by the bank to cash a check, and chatted with the teller for a few minutes. She asked what I was doing that day, so I told her I was on my way to the feed store to pick up some chicks. She was excited and told me that people occasionally bring their pets into the bank and one day someone had brought in some baby chicks and she got to hold one.

So I went on my merry way, and as I was coming home I thought "well, I'm driving right past the bank, I might as well stop by and show Lynnette the chicks!" The chicks were chirping loudly as I walked in the door, so everyone turned to look. There was a youngish man (25 or 30) doing a transaction with Lynnette, and when he saw me with a box of chicks he quickly swept his money aside and told me to put it down right there on the counter. I did, and then opened the box and took a chick out for Lynnette to hold.

The guy stood there with eyes as wide as saucers, gawking at the chicks like he'd never seen a chick in his life. He probably hadn't. I asked him if he wanted to hold one, and he carefully reached out one little finger and gently touched one. I repeated that I could hold one if he wanted, and then picked one up and held it out to him.

He took it, and stared at it for the longest time. Then he brought it up close to his face and stroked it with his fingers, cooing and talking to it. "Hi there, little chickie... how are ya?.... you're so soft.... you're a cute little thing...." Eventually he put it back in the box, and he shifted his wide eyes from the chick to me, and said with the deepest sincerity, from the depths of his soul, "Thank you for letting me hold the chick. That was amazing". And then as I picked up my things and walked to the door, he must have thanked me at least three or four more times.

As I drove home I figured I must have been just as elated as they were - only for a different reason! They were excited to have experienced new life, and the simple joys of simple living with a rural lifestyle. For me, I was blessed to have given them the opportunity to experience these joys. It was a simple little thing, just took maybe five minutes out of my time, but it brightened their day considerably. (especially that man's day - I still smile when I remember the expression of awe and gratefulness on his face! He was obviously a city-slicker who had never seen a chick in real life!)

And thus ends the tale of our little fuzzy chicks.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a fun story! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Awww! His day was made!