It Did Happen to Her

One of my broken-record themes about good deeds is that they rarely cost anything. But here’s a story about one that set a couple of men back a full thousand dollars.

They forked it over willingly, though, after getting to know a waitress at a pub. (Is this sounding a little too It Could Happen to You?) The establishment is not that far from my own neighbourhood. The server’s name is Melissa Lombardo, and when she’s not handing out beer and munchies, she’s an aspiring singer/songwriter.

The two guys at her table the other night (in fact, it was the wee hours of the next morning) seemed friendly. They cracked a few jokes and asked her a few questions, and by the time their bill was ready, they had learned a little bit about Melissa’s goals and dreams.

That thousand dollars? It was the tip they ended up leaving for Melissa. They called it a “surprise bonus,” something they occasionally like to give to servers who seem deserving. The men rate ambition and honesty as top qualities.

Melissa, of course, was floored. “You hear about these kind people, but it’s just so nice to actually see somebody that kind and generous,” she told a reporter. “The fact that that’s real is so amazing to me.” The young woman, who says she’s had misfortune in her past, is determined to use the money to make a proper studio recording of her songs.

She also hopes to perform a similar astonishing good deed for another person one day. I’m sure her two newest customers would approve.

Melissa Lombardo has a voice that’s ready to be shared with the world. “Just being heard and somebody actually hearing my passion… it was just so nice,” she says in a news story. (YouTube photo)

So Much More than a Feeling

It was a typical weekday lunch hour. My dog and I were eating carrot sticks while listening to the all-request show on the radio. (I won’t freely admit I listen to a station aimed at baby boomers, but let’s just say that on this radio frequency, “pop” always means Iggy.)

A woman from Newmarket, Ontario, called in to make a song request. “I recently lost three limbs, and it was my first time out in my electric wheelchair,” she told the radio host. (You had my attention at “three limbs.”) “Two different motorists stopped to ask me if I needed any help with anything,” she continued. “I said, ‘Thank you so much for stopping, but I’m good to go.’

“But it really warmed my heart.”

The woman wanted to send a song out to all the compassionate people of her community. Her request? “More than a Feeling,” by Boston.

This story warmed my heart, so I’m sharing it here. You’ll agree it’s totally worth the earworm… I hope.

No animals were deprived of carrots in the making of this photo.