A story that proves that there is still kindness in Battle Creek

A conversation with a veteran leads to a lesson in gratitude and an unexpected act of kindness.

Sometimes it’s the little things that remind you how great our forest neck really is. AC Collette recently shared an experience she had in her hometown of Battle Creek. During a brief trip to a drugstore, AC says a man wearing a Vietnam veteran’s hat came up to her and spoke to her. AC says the man was quite thin and his clothes were worn out.

While a cynic might assume that this story begins with a request for money, food, or the like, that never happened. Instead, AC says the two had a great time.

The veteran asked her if she was rich, to which she says she replied with a chuckle and a big NO. The man then opened his wallet, which was empty, and told her that he was the richest man in the world.

AC says he was quite proud of his military experience and beamed as he talked about it. During the conversation he listed many things for which he was grateful and never complained once. Still, his stomach growled during the conversation.

Moved by his attitude towards life and his contagious behavior, she asked him if he was hungry. She said his eyes were shining and he nodded eagerly. You’d think this is near the end of the story, but there’s another heartwarming twist to it.

So the two made their way to a nearby restaurant. AC told the veterans order what it would like. When she tried to pay for the food, a young lady who works in the restaurant said the order was already taken. AC says she is a little baffled and confused. Then the young restaurant worker looked at the tattered hat of the veteran, smiled and said, “There are no fees. Your order will be processed immediately.”

AC said the worker’s name was Jasmine. Jasmine is Assistant Manager for Arby’s in Battle Creek. AC says what made Jasmine’s action so powerful was that she is a young adult. A group that is not always seen as respecting the elders or paying attention to anything other than social media. Not only that, but also the workers in the catering industry have been put under so much pressure in recent years. Something that AC as one of the founders of Stuff the Front and an employee of Eats BC.

AC says their biggest takeaway from this experience is that after all the negatives there is still kindness in the world and how good it is to see young people take care of our veterans.