Pay It Forward, Good Souls

Best thing of my work week: I work for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at my local university. One of my favorite professors is an old gentleman who has been teaching in this department for 50 years. (Literally, this year is his 50th.) I was running an errand during my lunch break and I ran into him on my way out of the building. He was heading back to his office after teaching class.

We chatted for a bit about how his class went. Then, He asked me if I was going to eat lunch in the next building over and I, thinking it would just be easier to say yes rather than explain my errands, said yes. He replied, "Don't eat lunch up there! I will make you some of the soup that I have in my office."

After talking this proposition with him and feeling awkward about this random act of kindness, he wouldn't take no for an answer. So we walked back to our building when he told me that he'd meet me in my office with his Indonesian soup. He was worried that "It might be too spicy but you might like to try something new."

I waited in my office for a short time. He brought me the soup he had heated up in his office microwave. It turns out it was some kind of spicy top-ramen. It was delicious. After I gobbled it up, he came back and wanted to wash my bowl for me. Again, he wouldn't take no for an answer.

I wish there were more gentle souls like his in the world. The spontaneous kindness of it all gives me such joy. I will have to make him cookies tomorrow.

It's nice to remember that there are genial folks like Dr. DeVries who are always kind, helpful, and smiling. Time to pay it forward.

Dr. Larry DeVries - the best professor I know.