That time at the farmer's market changed how I handle emergencies

So last Saturday I was at the downtown farmer's market in Portland buying some veggies and a pie. My card reader was down so I had cash on me, but then I saw a kid drop his mom's wallet in a puddle and she had nothing left for the $40 worth of stuff they already bagged. I gave her $20 from my pocket to cover it, no big deal. It made me think, carrying cash means you can actually help someone right then and there without any apps or fees. Has anyone else had a moment where physical money just made something easier than plastic ever could?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiegreen14d ago

Noticed the same thing at my local hardware store last month when their credit machine went down during a rush. The lady in front of me had a cart full of stuff and was about to leave it all behind. I covered her $35 with cash and she paid me back with a $5 bill and a slice of homemade banana bread she had in her purse. Its wild how cash turns a stressful moment into a quick human connection especially since most people dont carry any on them anymore. Really makes you wonder if weve traded convenience for too much isolation in daily life.

xena_allen13d ago

Hold on @jamiegreen, is a $35 transaction really that deep though? I get it was nice, but acting like cash is the only way to connect with people feels a bit overblown. People can still chat and be decent humans regardless of how they pay. It's not like swiping a card suddenly turns everyone into robots. Just seems like a small thing we're blowing way out of proportion.