I have what I call frozen moments.
They are times when I know I watch something happening, and I do nothing.
An example.
I was in line at the grocery store late Saturday night. The line was kind of long, and there weren’t many cashiers open.
A customer at the line’s front was having trouble with her credit card processing. It seemed it was declined two or three times. She didn’t have any other way of paying for what looked like $50—$100 of groceries, which these days amounts to a bag or two.
The cashier handled the customer I believe with care, empathizing with her. Still, the customer understandably looked to be embarrassed. None of her fellow customers did anything, including me. I so wanted to walk to the front of the line and say “how much of this is essential?” I wanted to pay her bill. She left the store. When I got through and into the parking lot, I looked for, but it was too late.
I think I missed the opportunity to help another person.
I wonder in this time of economic crisis how many others in that line were thinking about the credit limits on their cards or how much they could really afford.
I didn’t ask him, but I’m sure that the cashier has seen his share of people come through that line lately with only a balance of hope on their credit card accounts.
The store manager had to come over with a key to reset the register. Another employee came over to “shop back” the bagged items, or put them back on shelves.
I felt unprepared for this in a way. I wish the store had some sort of program that would have allowed the manager to pull the lady aside in a confidential place and offer her a bag of essential groceries, milk or bread. And I also know that it’s probably not reasonable or the grocery store would be pulled into a bottomless quarry of need.
But I will try not to freeze again. At the very least, I will offer whatever tzedakah I can. At the very least, I am going to keep the phone numbers of Ahavas Yisroel (410-358-7579), Jewish Community Services (410-466-9200) and the Maryland Food Bank 410-737-8282) available in my wallet just in case I run into this situation again.