Ok.

I did something silly.

Recently, I have been very good. Like very, very good.

Just this week I kept myself from buying electronics, toys, and those special glasses that help your eyes if you spend too much time looking at computer screens.

I’ve also been walking. Not too often, but more than usual.

Plus one for health!

I also realized that I had some rewards points on a credit card. Points I could trade in for spectacular products, gift cards, or even cash.

CASH MONEY!!

At first, I was going to take the money.

I mean, c’mon! It’s cash. Right into my pocket. However, having learned from my past (finally) I realized that money would NOT being going into my pocket. It would go into my savings. I do not touch my savings. Ever. It is for emergencies and will not be touched. So… ya. That’s where that money would go.

So good.

However, I just couldn’t help looking at the different items I could trade in the points for.

Just like how I placed those toys and glasses into my shopping cart before deciding I did not need them and they were evil and smote them right out of my cart.

BE GONE DEMON!

Or something like that.

So I looked around, and even though I had a bunch of points, I did not have enough for the really cool stuff. That’s when I thought about my parents.

My parents are really nice, good people. They have helped me through all my hardships. I was looking at all the different gift cards and thought about how my dad would shop there occasionally, and my mom shops there like they sell oxygen. That’s when I thought about getting some gift cards to give to them.

See? Good.

But I didn’t have enough to get them both a gift card of the same amount. The place where my mom shops would need to be so much, which means my dad would get a card with a lower value. They really wouldn’t care. But even still, I was trying to get them both gift cards that would actually be valuable. I didn’t want them to end up with a gift card for $5 that would be used at a place where $5 wouldn’t really buy anything.

So, since my mom currently takes me to work almost every day (like I’m a teenager again… so, so frustrating…) I thought I’d get her a gift card to a gas station.

So, I pick the only gas station they have gift cards for and trade in my points. A few days later I get a threatening looking letter from my credit card company which, I’m not gonna lie, freaked me out. But, it turned out to be the gift card.

I walked downstairs to my mom and asked if that gas station company was still nearby. She said yes and I gave her the card. She said thanks.

…

And that’s it.

I know, I know. I’m being petty. And ridiculous.

But…

I don’t know… I just expected more. Petty, yes, but still.

Later on I found the card just casually laying on the kitchen table. He was like, “what up!” and I was like “Wha… why are you just laying there… wheres… wha…” and then he was all like “chill bruh.”

So I set it on a box on the table so it would be seen. Actually, I was hoping my dad would see it. He had been walking in and out of the room preparing for something he had to go to. He had to have seen the card. But he didn’t say thing. He will usually see things and ask “what is that” or “who’s card is this?” But he didn’t say anything.

I mean, it’s not like I wanted to tell him about how I had these points and instead of trading them in to get some electronic toy I probably already have and never use anyway I used them to get mom a gas card she can use to fill up her car a couple times as a thank you for taking me to work every day, with a chance to point out how nice, and good, and great I am.

Ok, maybe a little.

But is that so bad? I did something nice and just want a little recognition.

I later asked my mom where the card was because I didn’t want it to get lost. She has it… somewhere…

And after working all day I had another little thought.

This one, not so petty.

Imagine being nice to people and telling them about how nice you are. If you can’t imagine that, imagine the person you know who behaves like that. Then, imagine all your friends feeling about you the way you all feel about that person.

Don’t be that person.

Instead you should probably just be nice. All the time.

If you’re nice to someone they will remember that interaction. They will think, “that was nice of him.”

If you’re then nice to others, that person will think, “hmm… I guess he’s nice to other people also.”

If you continue to be nice, all these people will continue to see you being nice. They will all think, “he’s such a nice guy.” Eventually, someone will say something to someone else, and if they both have the same experience with you they will talk about it.

In the end, you’ll have lots of people who all not only think independently that you are nice, but also agree that you are indeed a nice person.

This won’t be the same as having people tell you that you are nice. This won’t be the same as getting recognitions or rewards. It won’t be the same as being honored, having a park named after you, or getting the key to the city. And it will take a long long long long long long time until you get to see the outcome of being nice all the time, if you ever get to see it at all.

But so what.

If you have accomplished this, you will be liked my so many people. Not because you gave a good speech, or promised to lower taxes, or have a sexy body. But because you are a genuine nice person. You will have imprinted good feelings and happy memories onto the hearts of those around you. Your behavior will encourage others to be nice. Your niceness will live on forever. You are immortal.

Congrats!

But seriously. You can either be “that guy” or you can just let your behavior spread like laughter and encourage everyone around you to be nice.

I guess I’d take the latter.

-Diggs out.

P.S. – I didn’t really have a conversation with a gift card. It’s called “making a boring article interesting by causing the reader to think the author might be crazy and want to see what kind of nonsense he’ll type next.”