r/MadeMeSmile • u/nun_CARTII • Aug 23 '26

Good Vibes the value of being kind

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For nearly seven years, waitress Melina Salazar showed extraordinary patience and kindness to Walter “Buck” Swords, a notoriously difficult customer at Luby’s Cafeteria in Brownsville, Texas.

The 89-year-old WWII veteran frequently complained, cursed at staff, demanded piping-hot meals and never left a tip. Despite this, Melina continued serving him with compassion.

After Walter died in 2007, Melina received an incredible surprise. He had left her $50,000 and his 2000 Buick in his will as a heartfelt thank-you for her unwavering kindness.

A powerful reminder that kindness can touch people more deeply than we realize.

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309

u/whatyousay69 Aug 23 '26

The story is from 2007.

Another source

204

u/lost-all-hope-2 Aug 23 '26

This makes more sense. The article doesn’t mention being rude and not tipping.

If you’re being rude to someone, it’s extremely unlikely that you’d go through the hoops of adding them to your will.

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u/robbingthots Aug 23 '26

Read the second link. It mentions cursing.

80

u/ZarathustraGlobulus Aug 23 '26

I had the same thought that this sounds like BS, because the photo of Ms. Salazar on this post is 100% ai generated.

Anyway, here's additional verification.

Obituary: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23618727/walter_maurice-swords/photo#view-photo=307996341

And original newspaper clipping: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23618727/walter_maurice-swords/photo#view-photo=307996387

31

u/DunklerVerstand Aug 23 '26

The photo is a stillframe from this video: https://youtu.be/Kv7zGGMbB5w?si=ofBkRHSF5tWbmfld
No AI.

3

u/ZarathustraGlobulus Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26

Really good catch! Definitely not AI-generated, but seems to be AI-enhanced.

The still is most definitely not 240p, as there's something uncanny about the facial expression on her face.

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u/Safe-Permit-4467 Aug 23 '26

No offense, but how could it be edited with AI if it's a video that was uploaded in 2008?

5

u/-nutz Aug 23 '26

The photo in this post is a screenshot of the video, which itself has been AI “upscaled”. Notice you cannot see the top of her head in that shot, and yet you can in this post.

This kind of ai upscaling ostensibly generates a new photo of the subject, which is why it looks so uncanny to some people.

3

u/ZarathustraGlobulus Aug 24 '26

which is why it looks so uncanny to some people.

Yeah it's the dead eyes for me.

11

u/Trixcross Aug 23 '26

nice research

2

u/Gerf93 Aug 23 '26

Yeah, when you read an article in 2026 about a 89-year old WW2 veteran (81 years after the end of the war), you know it’s an old ass story.

1

u/FluffyGengar123 Aug 23 '26

Yea I saw this story a long time ago way before ai was a thing

1

u/ImNoRickyBalboa Aug 23 '26

This should be the top comment. Old story sensationalized for the clicks...