Orlando Ice

by Tamra Artelia Martin


I used to hate the clichéd phrase "sometimes it's the little things that count." Maybe hate is too strong of an emotion. Let's just say I never fully appreciated it. I'm a BBW standing at 6'2. This makes me not so little. Still, it hit me that I do little things all the time as I go through my day.

Ice in Florida is definitely not a little thing. Even now, in January's heart of winter (Florida winter is nowhere as bad as Boston winter, but it does get cold and hot on days you least expect), you can find people getting large bags of ice. With no ice maker, I'm one of those people now.

At two in the morning, there's no way I felt like going in Walmart for just a bag of ice. Ice and alcohol? Definitely. Just ice? No.

So my magic idea (it is magic thinking this time of morning after downing a pitcher of Sangria and a mint chocolate alcoholic milkshake, thus proving my point of alcohol needed being involved) was to drive through Del Taco, order something and offer to pay for two large cups of ice. I said offered. Doesn't mean I wanted to pay for it. College student is synonymous with cheap.

I didn't ask for it when I ordered. I waited until I saw a person at the window. I was super nice. I apologized for it being busy, even though it wasn't my fault. I smiled my head off even though I was dead tired. And you know what? She gave me two FREE large cups of ice. Not the small water courtesy cups. The super large Mucho cups so large, you wonder if people actually finish the liquid inside.

This may seem small, but that's my point. It's the small things that add up. I wasn't kissing up or bribing her. I was genuinely friendly and interested in the interaction. Because of that, she was kind enough to give me free ice. It's the small things I'm starting to appreciate.

Bye Chai,

Tamra