The Assist

In the Safeway I noticed the encounter of a middle-aged man with an elderly, frail woman at the checkout counter when the cashier ringing up the woman casually handed her a light bag of groceries and the elderly lady almost pitched over as she placed it in her cart. The man in line behind her started to reach out to steady her but discretely stepped back when she successfully regained her equilibrium.

The woman handed the cashier a fistful of coupons and then learned that she couldn't use her best one, a ten-dollars-off coupon if the grocery bill was $50. Her total was $49.

She fumblingly put her credit card in the card reader and lamented her loss of ten dollars off but also spoke of her good fortune as well.  "It's too bad I can't use the ten dollar coupon, I counted up my purchases carefully but I gave you too many lesser coupons and now my total is too small.  But this is my first shopping trip in eighteen months after the fracture so I guess I'm doing okay.  I'll just use it the next time I come, if I can get over $50 then."

You and I both know what we would do.  Look anywhere for a one dollar item, a candy bar or anything, so we could then benefit from the ten dollar coupon to achieve a nine dollar savings.  But the lady was evidencing a trace of confusion as she said she didn't want to delay the checkout line.

The man behind her was surveying his items on the conveyor belt and then, handing her two of his four yogurt cups, said, "These are seventy cents each, Ma'am.  If you added these to your purchase, then you could then use your ten dollar coupon because it would put your total over fifty dollars.  I don't know if you like yogurt but it would save you almost nine dollars off your current bill."

She gratefully accepted the two small containers and handed them to the cashier who rang them up. Her total dropped from $49 to forty dollars and change.  The lady helpfully added to the man that she liked yogurt, she spread it on toast, using it like peanut butter.