Thank you, Sir!

This morning on my way to work, hunger got the best of me and I was craving a greasy, fattening sausage biscuit for breakfast.  I had enough time to stop, so I pulled into the fast food joint next to work.  There are two entrances to the parking lot and as I pulled in, I noticed two other cars pulling into the parking lot from the other entry way.  Myself and the other car pulled up relatively at the same time and the end of the line.  He was a man my age, in a little sports car.  Behind him was an elderly man in an nicely kept, older model truck.  The younger man and I tried inching our way into the line at the same time and it was apparent that he wasn't letting me cut in.  I wondered where his manners were and assumed his hunger got the best of him or perhaps he was just rude.  So, I check the clock and decide I will sit back and wait for an easy opening and get in the back of the line.  The cars pull up and I sit there, letting the elderly man move up.  He smiled and motioned for me to go in front of him.  I waved, smiling, and pulled up, ordered my biscuit and waited to pay.  Clearly, the difference between this generation and the ones previous.  I wanted to get out and tell that elderly man how much I appreciated his gesture and not let it go unspoken but didn't want to seem crazy.  As I pulled up to pay, it hit me!  I asked the cashier if could pay for his meal and she grinned saying "Yes Ma'am, of course!"  She rang us both up and I pulled out and headed to work.  His order was only $2.58 but it was worth much more than that to me.  I hope he realized how much this woman appreciates manners and politeness, no matter how small the action, because I see it less and less these days.  That's the first time I've ever paid for a strangers meal before and given the opportunity again to return a kindness such as today, I would most likely do it again.  You never know when kindness will be returned to you, so it is best to show it all the time.  You never know when you may get a free meal from doing so!