Tony, the New Benny

When I was a little girl, one of the highlights of going to the A&P with my mom was getting to visit with Benny. Benny was my favorite bag boy. Well, he wasn't really a bag boy; he was more like a bag man. Benny was probably in his 30s. But Benny was...different. Back in the 70s, we would have described him as "retarded." Today, we would call him "special needs" or "developmentally delayed." Probably a more accurate description than either of those terms would be the word "simple." Benny was simple.

Benny's world was a simple place. His life revolved around his home and his work, and he loved them both. He loved his job at the supermarket, because he got to talk to people all day. More importantly, he got to help people all day. Not only did Benny bag everyone's groceries as carefully and quickly as possible, but he would gladly run to replace a leaking bag of flour or a dented can of soup, or grab a forgotten loaf of bread or gallon of milk. He always offered to help carry groceries to the car for the elderly folks or moms with small babies. He was unfailingly polite to everyone he served, never forgetting to say, "Have a nice day!" or "See you again soon!" or "Thanks for shopping with us!"

Benny's constant cheerfulness was contagious. Even as a small child, I noticed that people in line who seemed grumpy and impatient would relax and smile back when they reached the register and Benny greeted them with a smile. He was a genuinely happy person, and you couldn't help but be happy when you were around him. Benny's gift was spreading joy to everyone he met. He turned even an ordinary trip to the store into a joyous experience.

Yesterday, I went to a different grocery store than the one I usually shop at, and as I neared the register, I noticed that the bag boy was a young man of about 18 who appeared to be special needs. He was rocking back and forth slightly and flapping his hands by his sides as he waited for the cashier to start ringing in my items. But as I caught his eye, he gave me a big smile, held up a flyer that said, "WE'RE HIRING!", and announced to me, "You can get a job here, like me!" I smiled back and asked if he liked working there. He nodded enthusiastically and proudly tapped his nametag, which said "TONY - 2 YEARS". I laughed and said, "I guess you do, if you've worked here for two years already!" Tony informed me, "I like working here, but I like my days off, too. I have the day off tomorrow, and my brother and I are going to spend the day together!" I asked what they were going to do, and he furrowed his brow for a moment and said, "I don't know yet," but then his face brightened and he added, "But whatever it is, I'll get to do it with my brother!" As I collected my things, I told him that I hoped he had good weather for his adventures the next day, and he grinned and told me, "Oh, we sure will! Have a REALLY good day!"

I left the store with a smile on my face that lasted for the rest of the day. What a gift it is to encounter rays of sunshine like Benny and Tony. On the surface, they may seem like they don't have as much to contribute to the world as a doctor or an engineer or an astronaut. Benny and Tony are not the kind of people who are ever going to cure cancer, or discover a new source of renewable energy, or pilot a spaceship to another planet. They're not going to change the world with some new discovery or invention. But they make the world a better place just by being in it. They make the world a happier place for everyone they meet.

I'm glad to see that Tony is the new Benny. The world could use a lot more of them.