The Bible talks about how God sends the rain on the just and the unjust.
Bad people need rain just as much as good people.
I think about that when I’m being served by a waiter who is really bad at their job.
I always leave them an extremely generous tip.
Sometimes it is so large that it is ridiculous.
I do this for three reasons:
The tip that you leave isn’t really about the waiter. It is not a statement of who they are. It is a statement of who you are.
The second reason that I leave monumental tips to bad waiters is because I know that it will confuse them. They will know, of course, that they did not deserve it. So it may cause them to think for a moment about the relationship between the person who is serving and the person who is being served.
The third reason I leave such comically large tips is because a person who is doing a bad job is usually unhappy. I do not know why they are unhappy, and I don’t need to know. But an unexpected gift of a large amount of money tends to brighten a person’s day.
So as I drive away from the restaurant, I get to smile about that little spark of joy I left behind.
I get to smile about leaving them a happy little surprise.
You can keep a bad waiter from stealing your joy by being generous to them, even though they don’t deserve it.
Now I know what you’re thinking.
I know what you’re thinking.
You are worried that I am cheating all the waiters and waitresses who work hard and are doing a good job.
Don’t be silly. I’m not a fool.
I treat the good ones even better than the bad ones.
The tip you leave on a table is a statement; a statement about you.
What are you saying about you?
— A. Nonny Mouse