Kindness Exists?

Today I left my apartment/office/winebar to attend an interview for a cocktail position I wasn't even sure I wanted. Once the interview was over I proceeded to shop around a few stores in search of the perfect God knows what, and since eating and shopping are my stress relievers and food and I are on a break, my wallet got the best of me.

Scoopneck sweater, wrap sweater, black, black , black...every store had identical inventory; my mind kept wondering about the pizzeria I passed 3 blocks back. I end up in Spain, well actually my favorite material reincarnate of Spain, in hopes of being inspired by an article of clothing. I conduct this quest for almost an hour in Spain, and finally settle on a sweater (not scoopneck, wrap, or black).

I'm at the cash register pulling out the plastic gold when a princess and a toy soldier spring up on my left and my right! Yes, a woman dressed as a princess and a man dressed as a toy soldier, not to mention a camera man, and some other people. So the princess and soldier are super cheery, and speak almost in unison. Honestly, I thought they were going to ask me for charity, to which I would have supplied based on their originality alone. The team informs me that they want to pay for my purchase, no strings attached. I asked them at least 10 times what they wanted from me in return, and they insisted each time absolutely nothing. Becoming weary of grilling the cartoons, I verbally accept the gift, when at least 3 people pull out credit cards. All the while I chat with the cartoons and they inform me that the Santa Monica Bayside Group are doing these little nice gestures for people in the neighborhood, and ask that I just be nice in return for the holidays. NO PROBLEM!

This random act of kindness totally made my day, my week. I had pretty much given up on the idea that people do something for nothing (read my previous posts on some of my dates). I now love Santa Monica even more than before, and have a little glimmer of faith in kindness that lives deep within people.