Give It Away Now

I've been incredibly swamped with college and the house and NaNoWriMo this month, so please pardon my lack of presence around here. I had planned on resuming the regular blog schedule December 1, but I had a moment tonight that I couldn't help but share.

Awhile back, I read Anthony Kiedis's memoir "Scar Tissue." It was a compelling read, one that I'm actually tempted to pick up again. There was a mention in his memoir about how he had admired a leather jacket belonging to Nina Hagen, and she gave it to him. Just like that. No strings attached, nothing.

She explained that giving things away creates positive energy. Kiedis went on to write the song Give It Away. Explained the song in his memoir. I read the memoir, and the philosophy behind it stuck with me.

Tonight I was in a bad mood. I can't explain why or how or what - this nasty funk descended upon my mood and tore it all sorts of sideways, backward, and upside down. I wanted to go to Sonic - for half price drinks - and we needed bread. So, bad mood and all, out into town we went.

As I pulled up to the window in the Sonic drive-thru, I was just setting my phone aside from texting and the girl at the window asked me if that was the Blackberry Storm. I replied that yes, it was, in fact, the Storm.

We chatted for a few about it, as she has one as well. She complimented me on my pretty pink cover and asked where I'd gotten it. I explained it was what we were given when I said yes to a pink cover when we placed the order on the phone. She looked a little crestfallen at that, and I noticed she had a white cover. After a moment of contemplation, I found myself asking her:

Do you want it?

Really simple, straight forward. And she was taken aback. Asked me about five or six times if I was serious before I slipped the cover off and handed it to her.

"Here! I really am serious!"

"Well, here, have mine then. Are you - wow, are you sure? This is so funny! You're so funny!"

It's kind of sad that we live in a society these days where if you're given something, you're constantly looking for the strings or the pitfalls or "What's wrong with it?" We've fallen away from giving each other things out of pure desire to make someone else happy.

But the look on her face, the happiness and the gratitude? Totally worth it. I didn't know her at all, but making her happy made me happy.

Yes, it was a complete stranger.

Yes, it was just a phone cover.

And yeah, she made it into a trade.

But when you give things away without expecting anything in return? The rewards are unexpectedly amazing.

Reeling with the feeling, don't stop - continue.

-RHCP-