Otter Pops and Keeping the Karma in My Favor

As my car bumped along the dirt road, I saw a child sitting on the top of a truck cab. There were trailers and dilapidated homes scattered throughout this little section of town. As I was driving past the truck, I slowed down, noticing a large, hand-lettered sign leaning against it. "OTTER POPS FOR SALE." I went on my way, in search of a modular home at the end of the lane. The frozen, fruity-flavored confection adored by children is not a favorite of mine, but I would be back.

Photo credit: Swellpath.com

When Bridger and I were driving out of the subdivision, I told him we were going to buy Otter Pops. I don't even LIKE Otter Pops, but we were going to buy two. As I stopped the car, our small salesman scooted himself off of the top of the truck, jumping into the back, and leaping off of the tailgate. His eyes were wide with excitement. There's not a lot of traffic on dirt lanes in this remote part of the county, and we were probably his first, and only, customers that hot summer afternoon.

"How much are your Otter Pops?" I asked the smiling entrepreneur.

"A quarter." A fair exchange, I guessed, considering his location, original full-retail cost purchased with mom's grocery money at Walmart, and the questionable demand for his product.

"We'll take two." I had dug up the loose change that slides around in the console of my car for this little business transaction. 

After asking our preference for flavors, he shot a hasty, "I'll be right back!" at us, taking off for the house, and we assumed, the freezer.

When I gave him the quarters, which included a couple of extra, he looked up at me questioningly.

"You can keep the change," I told him. His smile widened, as he gripped his dirty fingers tighter around his earnings. "Thanks for the Otter Pops," I said as we walked back to the car.

"You're welcome," he beamed, as he ran back through the patches of grass in the dirt yard. "Hey, Mom!" he yelled as he pulled open the door. 

We always make it a point to stop at any roadside stand run by a child. It's such a small investment in making sure that someone has a good day. And by saying "Keep the change," I make sure that I have a good day, too. Karma keeps track, and it's fun to try to stay ahead of the blessings.