One of the things that I am more thankful for that I never took the chance to blog about (because I completely forgot) was an experience that I had a week ago yesterday, on Election Day.  I was waiting in line to vote at the Blacksburg Airport, and I was told that the wait to vote was going to be over an hour.  Luckily I had decided to bring my iPad with me, hoping that since it was a university building it would have a wrieless internet conncetion.  This way, I could get some reason done for class.

I began to get reading down for school, and about 25 minutes later a pollster comes up to me.

“Sir, you know that since you have a disability you don’t have to wait in line?”

Literally, I hate to ever pull the wheelchair card, but on this particular day I decided to go ahead and do it.  I had a really big toi do list that day and was so thankful that I coudl get back to other things that I needed to get done.  So I progress through the line, thanking my lucky wheels for shaving an hour of waiting off of my life, and I cast my ballot.

After I finished voting, I exit the building, and numerous people are so kind, spreading kindness by holding open for me the many doors needed to maneuver to exit the building.  After I got outside, and thanked all of them, I was eager to try and pay that kindness back in some way.  I run into a new friend, his name was Jean-Luc.

I had met Jean-Luc earlier this year by trying to meet my goal of meeting one new person everyday.  I was in the barber shop waiting to get a haircut, as was he.  He sat down right next to me and I decided to strike up some random conversation.  Jean-Luc and I discover that we know eachother in a funny way through several mutual friends, mostly because he is the President of his class in the class leadership system.

So, back to Election Day.  I see Jean-Luc and three other friends standing in a circle on a really windy, cold day and it kind of looks like they need a ride.  We chat for a few moments, and as I’m on my way, I think to turn back.

“Are you guys waiting for a ride, or…?”

Luckily, they are.  I offer them spots in my truck and in my truck bed.  I am able to share the kindness that was just imparted unto me in my experience at the voting place to this friends, and his friends who are strangers to me.

The reason I thought of this instance, an entire week removed, was becuase of a text that I got from a friend last week.  This text was from Grace, a great friend of mine who I met through Hokie Ambassadors, the campus tour guide group at VT.  Grace texted me the following:

I wish that everyone, whenever they got the opportunity, would pay it forward just like Grace did.  It’s an admirable thing to do. And what better way to thank someone for making your day than passing their act of kindness on to someone else.  It can snowball.  And not only CAN it, but I really think it should.