Now here's something that doesn't happen every day. Monday was the best day this week, and I'd promised a friend we'd go out on the bikes for the first time after the winter. But the tyres of the bikes were soft and the pump connector unhelpfully burst - and it was well after 5pm.
So in the car and out to look for a bike shop. Thought we'd found one at 5.30 but could only park across the road in a side street in the last space. The rush hour in full swing, the cars kept coming and the pedestrian crossing was a ways down the street. Finally got to the shop but the lights had gone out and the door locked. Looked in the window and the owner came and opened the door and asked if he could help. "No", he apologised - it was mainly a fish tackle shop - but we should try the new bike shop down the road.
Ran down, hoping it was open, and it was. Asked about the connector, yes he had one. Went to pay for it. Had changed into different clothes and had no money - a suit and tie being less than helpful on a bike!
"That's ok", he said, "hand it in next time you're passing".
So in 10 minutes I'd been at a closed shop which opened, been kindly directed to an open shop but had no money, and still came away with a pump connector because the owner took a risk and trusted.
There are days when it's all worth it - the hassle, the conveyor belt of stuff we all try to handle, the couldn't care-less-ness of much that passes for service in our recession ridden times. But the sun was shining, a closed shop was opened, a £3 connector was given away on trust.
As we walked up the street we waved to the owners of the fish tackle shop, and got the thumbs up. And eventually got half an hour on the bikes before the sun set. The sun which shines on the righteous.....I know the rest of the verse about also on the unrighteous, but on Monday according to the Torah, these folk had been kind to strangers, and multiplied happiness, which is pretty righteous!
The bike shop in question is Thomson's - its website is over here. If you live near Paisley I can recommend it for customer service and downright helpfulness - it also has loadsa bikes!
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