As readers of this column know, I was recently the victim of a random act of kindness. An unidentified mensch in a vehicle ahead of mine paid my $5 toll at the Perryville booths on Interstate-95. (Some days it pays to leave your E-ZPass at home.) I reported feeling odd about the gesture, wondering what the point was.
Several readers — more than I had anticipated — understood my reaction; they agreed that random generosity doesn't seem nearly as meaningful without the giver of the gift knowing who the receiver is, if not by name then at least by need.
Others thought the act should simply be accepted on its face as an affirmation of the goodness of our fellow travelers. I've heard from numerous people who've had similar experiences and who were genuinely thrilled by the smallest acts of generosity, downright stunned by the kindness of strangers.
But one letter, from a woman named Anonymous (not her real name, ha!) stood out. Anon appears to be a serious and well-financed practitioner of the charitable arts. She asked that I not use her name: "I have never believed that random acts of kindness should be divulged to a third party."
Anon says she was driven to serial generosity by the desire to set an example for her children. "It seemed to me that teaching my kids to 'do unto others' by words instead of deeds was an empty lesson," she wrote.
Now Anon wants to "go public" and let the rest of us know what she's been up to all these years. Some of these acts are out of the average person's price range. But others are simpler and might come in handy as we bump along in the aftermath of the Great Recession and spot fellow travelers in need:
"One night I saw a school bus broken down on the side of the road containing what appeared to be a high school baseball team. There was no tow truck yet in sight. I got off at the next exit, stopped at McDonald's and ordered 35 sandwiches, then bought a case of water at a store next door. I returned to the bus and handed it all to the driver and then left.
"Whenever I am out to eat with my family and there are either armed service members or firefighters around, I will pick up their check anonymously and tell the waiter that they are not to tell who paid. I try to leave before the recipients even know the check has been taken care of.
"My daughters helped me fill the needs of 75 older veterans who were moved to Washington after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. We heard of the need from a local radio station. Each veteran had nothing but a suitcase of clothes and personal items. Through donations, we were able to provide new coats to each of them, socks, underwear, gloves, and toiletries, plus six or seven television sets.
"If you have ever been to an Orioles game at Camden Yards you know that you cannot avoid seeing at least a few people with signs begging for a handout. My kids and I prepare bag lunches and stick them in the car to give out when and if we see these people.
"I recently picked up the check for 13 people who were out to lunch from a local nursing home. Several were in wheelchairs and many used walkers or canes. I was at lunch with three others at the time and didn't tell them what I was doing. But they found out from the waiter. I am pretty sure that they will think of doing something similar in the future.
"One of my favorite random acts takes place at the beach each summer. All of the beaches are thoroughly cleaned each night, and I wonder if the kids even know that there are actually shells that wash up on the shore. So I make it a point to buy a gigantic bag of shells and walk down the beach and discreetly drop them in front a family with young kids. The joy that this brings is quite amazing. Such a little thing and yet it might be the highlight of their day on the beach."
Dan Rodricks' column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. He is the host of Midday on WYPR, 88.1 FM. His email is dan.rodricks@baltsun.com.