Do you remember being in high school and anxiously yearning for the lunch bell to ring? Something about spending that time just hanging out with your friends in the cafeteria or courtyard, free from textbooks, lectures, and worksheets…not to mention the FOOD!
I think, as we get older, our desire and excitement for “lunchtime” remain the same, if not greater. We sit at our desks, watching the time go by in the bottom right corner of our computer monitors. We take orders, clean tables, and serve food, anticipating the moment that we can finally take a seat and have a meal ourselves.
As if waiting for your break and choosing a place to eat for lunch weren’t difficult enough, once you arrive at the food establishment of your choice, you have to wait to order your food, wait for it to be cooked, and wait for it to be given to you. It’s no wonder some people in food services lines can be impatient and aloof.
For one Chicago, Illinois, resident, though, time was all she had. When Destiny Carreno visited her local McDonald’s during her lunch break, she was nothing but patient and understanding. So much so, when an elderly man skipped her in line, she didn’t even complain. Why? The older gentleman was in a wheelchair and appeared to be a quadriplegic.
His difficulty maneuvering to the front of the line was followed by a difficulty trying to get some words out. While most would have exhibited frustration, Destiny was more concerned. She was no stranger to the customer’s disability, as her uncle dealt with a comparable condition. Forgetting about the food and the people behind them, her focus was on trying to understand what it was the gentleman wanted.
After a few failed attempts at expressing his request, the elderly man was finally able to squeak out the words, “Help me please.” Destiny understood he needed assistance eating his meal. The man was alone, no family or friends were around to take on the task.
Thankfully, the McDonald’s cashier saw this as an opportunity. Kenny, the cashier, went to the back of the restaurant to wash his hands and grab some gloves. He then confidently walked over to the elderly man’s table and proceeded to cut up his food and feed it to him.
Kenny wasn’t thinking about the customers still waiting to order and he was not considering the fact that he could lose his job; he saw a need and he wanted to tend to it.
Destiny was left speechless by this man’s kindness and compassion toward the customer. She took a picture and posted it on social media, and the post received a ton of gratitude and praise from people all over.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, we can be so focused on what is going on in our inner worlds that we forget to pay attention to what’s happening right in front of us. Some of us wake up and live our routine lives, not really looking for opportunities to think about anyone other than ourselves. Others come across opportunities but choose not to take advantage of them.
This McDonald’s employee decided to be neither of those, and someone’s life was changed because of it. Thank you for your unexpected and voluntary act of hospitality, Kenny from Chicago!
Were you touched by what this McDonald’s employee did for this man in need? So share this!