(I work at a dog park, and I get to bring my Great Dane to work with me. Most of my regulars know and love my dog, and he has his own little fan club. My Dane is an obedience champion and has a vast vocabulary of verbal and hand signal commands, including “shake”. However, because of his height, if someone asks him to “shake”, they usually get smacked for their troubles. An unpleasant new visitor to the park begins making disparaging comments.)

New Visitor: *to me* “Border Collies are a real man’s dog. If you aren’t smart enough for a collie, you get something like that!” *points at my dog*

Me: “Excuse me, but that’s incredibly rude.”

New Visitor: “See? What did I tell you? Only a stupid woman would own a stupid dog like that!”

Regular #1: “Actually, that dog is brilliant.”

New Visitor: “Whatever. I bet he doesn’t even know how to shake hands.”

Regular #2: *smiles* “Oh, please try…”

New Visitor: *to my Great Dane* “Shake!”

My Great Dane: *smacks him in the crotch*

(My friend, who is a bit ditzy and lazy, has just started at an on-campus work program at the college library. She meets up with me at the cafeteria after work.)

Friend: “Work was so bad today. I didn’t even get a chance to sit down and play on the computer.”

Me: “Well, you should be working anyway, not watching videos.”

Friend: “Well, usually we don’t get much problems with people. Some people can be so rude!”

Me: “Okay, so what happened?”

Friend: “Well, today a big group of guys came into the library and got A LOT of books.”

Me: “Alright, well—”

Friend: “Then when they were done reading,they either left their books on the table…”

Me: “Well—”

Friend: “…or they put them on the WRONG shelf.”

Me: “Yes—”

Friend: “…or even on the right shelf, but NOT the right place!”

Me: “Well, you—”

Friend: “I think they personally did that on purpose to mess with me. Like, another group came and sort of did the same thing. I mean, how rude are they?! They can’t even bother to put books away in the right spot!”

Me: “So, you are mad that people didn’t put the books back in the right order?”

Friend: “Well, duh!”

Me: “So you are mad because you think these people are doing this just to spite you?”

Friend: “Well, yeah! They got A LOT of books out, and I had to put them ALL away. Normally I get to like read my book or look on the web, since I normally don’t have much to do.”

Me: “You do realize you work in the library. You should be working, not just sitting and reading. Isn’t one of the jobs you have there putting the books away on the shelves?”

Friend: “Well, yeah! What’s your point?!”

(I am on leave and meeting an old friend in a restaurant inside a mall. Since I don’t know the area, I get there early and decide to window-shop beforehand. An old guy in his 80s approaches me.)

Customer: “I remember the good days when I didn’t have to see many of you orientals. Now, you’re everywhere stealing our jobs. All you do is get in the way and take from my great country.”

Me: “Sir, I’m a Marine. I’ve been in Afghanistan on multiple tours for the last three years. I serve OUR great country.”

Customer: “Oh! That’s good. Better you than losing some American boys.”

(I think about how the Marines trained me to survive everything an enemy can throw at us, but not how to listen to an old racist white man.)

(I pass by two very young girls, roughly eight years old.)

Girl: *to her friend* “I just had my first child!”

(I stop in my tracks before realizing that the children in question are playing a demo of ‘The Game of Life’.)

(I am a bookseller working toward a teaching credential. While I am not exactly poor, my pay is not stellar, and it is occasionally a stretch for me to manage loans and bills. While walking home from work, I see a middle-aged man asking for money on the corner. He appears to be a veteran. I scrounge around in my purse for change and only find a penny, but I walk up to him, anyway.)

Me: “Hey. I’m one of those jerks who doesn’t carry a lot of cash. So, this is all I have. I hope it helps.”

(I press the penny into the palm of the veteran’s hand. He looks at me. When he speaks, I can tell that he’s not all there, but he sounds genuine.)

Veteran: “You know what? If that’s all you have, then take this.”

(To my amazement, he presses a one-dollar bill into my palm. I shake my head and try to give it back to him.)

Me: “No. You need it more than I do.”

Veteran: “You know what? Take it. I was in the Marines. And my job was to protect this country. And help poor people.”

(Overcome with emotion, I impulsively salute at the veteran. He immediately snaps into a military salute in response. I thank him and start walking again, and he calls after me.)

Veteran: “Hey! Don’t you be spending that on alcohol, now!”

Me: “I won’t, sir!”

(True to my word, I converted the dollar into quarters for laundry, which I desperately needed to do. It really goes to show how some people, even in their greatest hours of need, will still go out of their way to help others out. Wherever you are now, sir, thank you – and to everyone else, please remember to support your troops, since many of them, after the fight, will need all the love they can get.)

This story is part of our Veteran’s Day roundup!

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