Generous Tipping Experiment

This morning I was eating breakfast with a friend and business associate, Brian.  I know Brian to be a generous person and appreciate his heart  for others.   As I went to pay for the check, I told him about my generous tipping project and the $100 tip for the $10 haircut that started it all.  Since we were using my computer during the meeting, I pulled up this blog and let him read a couple of the stories. 

While he was reading, the waitress brought the check for the breakfast, which was around $18.  I told Brian I was adding the tip for $50, totaled the check and gave it back to the waitress who had been serving us.  We both waited to see what would happen.  In a couple of minutes the waitress came to the table, put her hand on my shoulder and smilingly said “thank you”.  It was such a simple gesture but I really appreciated her sincerity and the opportunity to share the experience with my friend.

I think that’s one of the big benefits of simple acts of generosity - it creates relational connections.  For a short few seconds, there was a special connection between myself (the giver) and the waitress (the receiver).  I also think that Brian and I experienced a deeper connection as we experienced the joy that comes when we give.  In such a large and transient city like Atlanta, what would happen if more and more people became more deeply connected by simply being generous with their time, talent and treasure? Could generosity be an antidote to a self-absorbed, face-paced suburban lifestyle?