The Impact Of A Compliment

This is a personal story of a compliment that has changed my life and that I think about quite a bit. Let me set the stage. I live in the rural part of Colorado and recently graduated from high school. I have been working at a small diner for 3 years, but they cut my hours so, I needed supplemental income. So, I kept looking for a job, but with little experience, I kept getting rejected. Finally, I got a job at a hotel working with food. This job pays well and is really fun. I have been working there for around 3 months.

I'm working one day and my manager pulls me into her office. I was nervous. She said, " Hey I know you have a second job, but would you be willing to go full-time?" I hesitated and she looked slightly disappointed. She then said, " You can have a few days to think about it." Then, I was dismissed. Most people have felt torn between two things and I was feeling it. I spent the next few hours mulling over going full-time and quitting the diner. I finished my shift said I would like her to know and went home.

The next day I go in and get to work. My mind was still scrambled. I was flustered. I come into contact with a lot of guests at the hotel. Rough ones, nice ones, quiet ones, loud ones, and more. So, when there is a knock on the associate's only door I wasn't expecting to see an older gentleman asking me to help him for a second. I stopped what I was doing and went to help him. He needed help scooping oatmeal because he couldn't hold the scope. After that, I helped him get juice and even carry it to his room with him. The compliment came from a man who had been in the breakfast area for a little bit.

I went back to the kitchen and continued doing what I was doing. When another knock rang out. I walked to the doorway to see the man. I asked, " Hi there is there something I can help you with?" He smiled and simply said, " I saw what you did for that elderly man." I smiled and said something along the lines of how it was my job and that I enjoyed helping people. He smiled and said, " It's not a requirement, you probably changed his whole life by being nice and for that, this is for you." He stuck out his hand, it had a 5-dollar bill in it. I explained how he didn't have to. He smiled nodded his head and left.

There I was standing in the doorway awestruck with a 5-dollar bill. I stood there for a good 5 to 10 minutes tears welling in my eyes and threatening to fall. At that point, my mind was made up. I knew what I was going to do. After composing myself I walked into my manager's office and told her I was going to full time. She was elated. I quit my diner job where I was barely making anything and moved full-time to the hotel. All because a man I had never met was nice enough to point out something good I did. Recapping this story makes me feel so powerful. I feel as if that man was put there just to change my life. I am now the kitchen manager and working full-time. I got a pay raise and have finally been able to save up some money. My next step? Buy a house.

All of this is because a man took the time out of his day to bring to my attention that I probably just changed that man's life. It still makes me so happy to think about it. To that sweet man thank you for impacting my life in a way I didn't know I needed.