The Story of Walter "Buck" Swords and Melina Salazar
Melina Salazar, a waitress at Luby's Restaurant in Texas (not sure which part) served a grumpy, curmudgeonly WW2 vet sitting at the exact table, every morning, like clockwork in Swords, who never tipped, never smiled, never gave so much as a compliment to her, demanded excellence every morning. She continued to do her job when everyone else questioned her for doing it, asked him how he was doing, getting his orders right.
One day, Swords stopped coming. Then it turned to another day, and Salazar was concerned. She tried checking everywhere, but it turned out that he had passed away at the age of 89, according to his obituary.
Then the executor of his will came over to the restaurant, and it turned out that that WW2 veteran
did care, that he noticed Salazar treating him with kindness and dignity, and for that kindness, he gifted her $50,000 - all of the times he didn't tip, it turns out he was saving for one big thing - and his Buick in his will
So, when you see someone, anyone, really...it doesn't hurt to ask them how they're doing. It's never a waste of time to be kind to even the grouchiest person you know. You never know what positivity you can bring to even one life, just by doing that.
