Never Take Candy from a Stranger or Maybe You Should...

'Never take candy from strangers'
Most of us have been taught that rule at some point.
And while I agree 99%, because I don't want my own children jumping for joy when a man in a creepy van rides up beside them offering them mouth watering candy--I realized yesterday--sometimes it's ok to take candy from the unknown.

I say that because I work with the public.  I'm a librarian by day--and two nights a week.  I come into contact with a lot of people.  Some good...some not so good--but that's a whole 'nother blog--but back to candy. 

There's a man who I see every few weeks at work.
I noticed him years ago because that's what I do--but also because he's a nice looking older man.  He generally buys a few used books, reads the paper and off he goes.

In the past year he offered me a butterscotch hard cardy--yes that may be an indicator of his age--and I happily accepted this somewhat random act of kindess.  (I don't know how much I like that saying, but there is complete truth to the phrase)
And since the butterscotch, I've gotten mints, strawberry hard candys and fruity type mint lifesavers.  And it makes me happy.

Yesterday he was in, bought his few booksale items-read the paper and before he left gave me lifesavers and strawberry hard candy. 

I'll be honest--I do have this moment right before I pop the first one in my mouth that there could be this irrational possibility I'm being drugged or poisoned--but then I realize it's the voice of never taking candy from strangers. 

But this stranger has become a friendly face, offering trust, a sweet smile and a simple moment of joy in crazy moments.

Comments

A.Marie said…
this is so true &. makes you think twice about the way you teach people things in general
Unknown said…
Hi. I believe that in the olden days people were more trusting, but now they have to be more carefull.
said…
What a neat post! I enjoyed that + I laughed aloud in an empty room (sure indication that something is funny).
thank you--:))
I love old guys and their hard candy! (That came out sounding dirty--didn't mean it--for once, ha) My Grandpa always had Werther's Originals (sp?) around. They remind me of him to this day!
hiphophippie...old guys and hard candy --haha, even if you didn't intend it to be dirty, i'm glad it sounded that way. funny....
what time does he come in? i want some candy.
Anonymous said…
What a sweet story. Somewhere along the way we became so suspicious of our fellow man and stopped trusting in their iherent goodness.
I'm sure it not only brightened your day but also his to be able to share a moment in time with another. Who knows what the rest of his day was like...maybe you were the bright spot in his afternoon! :-)
That being said...I'd probably have taken it, smiled sweetly, and then thrown it away after he left!
Don Yoo said…
sometimes things might appeared "hard' on surface;...but actually it might be be the way we thought! just like an old piece of advise form our old folks. Sound hard to received into the ear but it has some kind of meaning in it. Hard things are not necessary bad at all...either "dirty side" or a piece of good thing.
To me;This old gentleman is no more so called stranger to you ( in your mind)cos he has been in and out of your working place.You have seen him all these while...When the moment he approached you;It was like "Hei! There u are what can i help u?""Oh yeah Tq for your hard candy" you know pretty well the candies are hard...but sometimes we just can't easily turn down an old peoples' wish to give (especially)Is ok to take it!
Have a nice day

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