Coupon

I was in line at the fabric store today and noticed two fourteen-ish boys having some  fabric cut (camouflage fleece if you are wondering. )  I tried to imagine my monkeys at that age and wondered what they would be like.  It was a little weird to think about them being so old, but I do hope that my boys are nice – such un unknown time when you have to let your babies go out in the world and trust that they will take what you have taught them…

The boys got in line just after me, and I heard one exclaim to the other, “Seriously, thirty bucks for fabric?!?”

I had printed two coupons at home.  One for 25% off the entire order, and another for 50% off one item.  I had quite a few small items, and after some mental math realized that each coupon would reduce my total by $2.  Since I could only use one coupon, I turned around and gave the 50% off one item to the boy behind me.

He was very polite and thanked me several times.  “This is great!” he exclaimed after doing his own mental math. (His polite manner gave me hope for my boys…)

“Coupons aren’t SO bad, you see.” I joked, “And I used Google to find this one, so I know you would also be able to find one in the future.”

The boy laughed sheepishly and said, “My mom told me to do that, but I just…..I just didn't.”

(and yes, a voice in my head did scream to me that I was now really, truly, officially a mother since I was talking to this poor child that I don’t know and telling him how to be financially aware!!! – As if he did not already have to put up with his own mother telling him what to do!!)

Anyway, when I presented my coupon, the teller informed me that my coupon was only good until noon and I could not use it.  They boy quickly handed back my original coupon telling me that the 50% off one was good for the entire day and I should use it since it was mine to begin with. (More hope for my boys’ futures!!)  I quickly handed it back saying, “It will save me $2 but how much will it save you?” 

“Don’t tell her how much!” exclaimed the other boy.

I was strangely touched by these two boys who wanted to “do the right thing” and let me save my $2 even though they could save $15 by simply saying nothing and taking the coupon.  In the end, I left the coupon with they boys, and they saved their $15 while I spent $2 more.  But if felt like money well spent.  Since I had compared them (in my head) to my own boys, I felt some strange ownership in their well-being.  And I also felt some happiness that these boys represented my own boys  - who might be in a similar situation and would respond in a similar polite, and respectful way.