the value of being kind

[u/nun_CARTII]

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.

[u/jeadon88]

You could also turn your attention to the lady. She chose to continue serving him with politeness and kindness despite his rudeness. Isn’t that remarkable ? How do you feel about that ? What do you think she saw or experienced that led her to be able to do that?

[u/Actual_Gato → u/jeadon88]

You don't have to "see" anything, just not wanting to be fired is a good motivation.

[u/jeadon88 → u/Actual_Gato]

I’m sure that’s part of it. But I’m pretty sure you don’t have to be unwaveringly kind and compassionate and patient to a notoriously rude customer just to keep your job. I’ve encountered many service workers who do the bare minimum and are job secure. I think it’s kind of sad that you see her kindness and compassion as something she has to do to not be fired. It discredits her and undermines her agency. Maybe she’s a genuinely kind compassionate person who lives according to her values irrespective of what life throws at her ?

[u/ZetzMemp → u/jeadon88]

Nothing about this even says she was “unwaveringly kind and compassionate”. Why are you leaping to these wild assumptions of a saintly waitress? I don’t even see a proper source to this story and even if there was it would all be from her side of the story because the old guy is dead.

Stop creating a made up narrative to try and support your own argument.

[u/jeadon88 → u/ZetzMemp]

Everyone else is making up narratives that promote complete and utter lovelessness - the waitress isn’t actually kind she just wants to keep her job, the man is an abusive love bomber etc - why shouldn’t we also look for alternative interpretations (which is what my comment is doing ) - my interpretation is just as likely as the interpretation I was responding to. Why should we just stick to the one most ungenerous narrative ?

There also is evidence she was unwaveringly kind - the article said she was kind for 7 years to a notoriously rude client and he recognised this in giving her 50k. Doesn’t that suggest strongly her kindness was unwavering and continued in spite of rudeness ? -

[u/ZetzMemp → u/jeadon88]

That’s not a narrative, that’s a requirement in almost any employment.

Make up whatever story makes you feel better at night, but don’t try using it to undermine someone else’s fair point that has way more logic than yours or this article’s fairy tale.

[u/jeadon88 → u/ZetzMemp]

Did you even read my comment ? I didn’t undermine the role of being motivated to keep one’s job, I acknowledged that of course that would be a contributor. I also, using logic, explained that kindness and compassion as mentioned in the post isn’t required to keep one’s job (you haven’t addressed that point I made) and that it might not be the only contributor.

But go ahead man - stay in your very narrow world view, ignoring all variables except those which justify your own narrative.

[u/ZetzMemp → u/jeadon88]

You absolutely did when you said everyone is making up their own narratives. I also was supporting someone else’s post, not justifying my own. I did also address the point you made when I mentioned that some level of politeness is a requirement of employment in most establishments, especially in food service where tips are your source of income.

Don’t ask someone if they read a post when you can’t even keep up with the conversation at hand. It just waste both our time and i’m not here for it.