This story is a perfect illustration of how I try to live my life. Be skeptical, be a little cynical, but still be kind. Keep just enough softness in you to make small moments of joy possible. For strangers, for friends, for whoever happens to be standing next to you in line at a sandwich shop.  

Because that’s what this story really is, a tiny human encounter that doesn’t ask for attention or applause. And that, a lot of times, can teach us lessons just as profound as dramatic, huge hero stories or fairy tales. Sometimes, you don’t need a dragon as an antagonist, a sorcerer as a villain, or a flying horse as a companion for a story to be meaningful. Sometimes, all you need is a Gen Xer in line at a Subway.  

Three teenagers pooling money for one sandwich, trying to stretch a few dollars into dinner. And one adult deciding, for no reason other than empathy, to quietly pick up the tab. No speeches, no grand gesture, just a moment of unannounced decency.