r/MadeMeSmile • u/nun_CARTII • Aug 23 '26

Good Vibes the value of being kind

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For nearly seven years, waitress Melina Salazar showed extraordinary patience and kindness to Walter “Buck” Swords, a notoriously difficult customer at Luby’s Cafeteria in Brownsville, Texas.

The 89-year-old WWII veteran frequently complained, cursed at staff, demanded piping-hot meals and never left a tip. Despite this, Melina continued serving him with compassion.

After Walter died in 2007, Melina received an incredible surprise. He had left her $50,000 and his 2000 Buick in his will as a heartfelt thank-you for her unwavering kindness.

A powerful reminder that kindness can touch people more deeply than we realize.

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u/ManzanitaSuperHero Aug 23 '26

So it’s ok to be awful to someone for 7 years (!) as long as you pay for the privilege?

Being a little gruff is one thing. “Cursing at staff”? I don’t find this heartwarming at all.

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u/PopUpClicker Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26

No it is not. But it shows some people notice kindness even if they don't have the capacity to reciprocate. It is heartwarming in the sense that even though some people may seem bad or angry all the time, it might not be all they are.

Edit: I don't have the time to respond to everyone, who thinks what I said is, somehow, support of bad behaviour. I recommend reading the first sentence again. People are suffering from trauma of upbringing, war, sickness and even "just" to get by. Many of those who suffer the most will interact with us in a bad way. I chose to believe that those who do that to me, are contributing the positivity that life has led them to be able to express.

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u/Scumbag89 Aug 23 '26

It’s good that he noticed and underneath it he appreciate her but “Not having the capacity to reciprocate” doesn’t excuse being rude to someone repeatedly. Nor does it remove the damage done over that time to the lady. I guess now she’s happy though

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u/PopUpClicker Aug 23 '26

I didn't say that it was ok or good. I said there is something going on here about how people who are seemingly assholes can also hold some good in them.

Few people are all good or all bad.

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u/toadpics Aug 23 '26

He knew he was being an ass, but he was so old already it probably seemed impossible to him that he could change who he was. And most likely he was fighting some internal battle. Being old can be really hard.

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u/jeadon88 Aug 23 '26

You could also turn your attention to the lady. She chose to continue serving him with politeness and kindness despite his rudeness. Isn’t that remarkable ? How do you feel about that ? What do you think she saw or experienced that led her to be able to do that?

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u/Actual_Gato Aug 23 '26

You don't have to "see" anything, just not wanting to be fired is a good motivation.

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u/jeadon88 Aug 23 '26

I’m sure that’s part of it. But I’m pretty sure you don’t have to be unwaveringly kind and compassionate and patient to a notoriously rude customer just to keep your job. I’ve encountered many service workers who do the bare minimum and are job secure. I think it’s kind of sad that you see her kindness and compassion as something she has to do to not be fired. It discredits her and undermines her agency. Maybe she’s a genuinely kind compassionate person who lives according to her values irrespective of what life throws at her ?

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u/ZetzMemp Aug 23 '26

Nothing about this even says she was “unwaveringly kind and compassionate”. Why are you leaping to these wild assumptions of a saintly waitress? I don’t even see a proper source to this story and even if there was it would all be from her side of the story because the old guy is dead.

Stop creating a made up narrative to try and support your own argument.

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u/jeadon88 Aug 23 '26

Everyone else is making up narratives that promote complete and utter lovelessness - the waitress isn’t actually kind she just wants to keep her job, the man is an abusive love bomber etc - why shouldn’t we also look for alternative interpretations (which is what my comment is doing ) - my interpretation is just as likely as the interpretation I was responding to. Why should we just stick to the one most ungenerous narrative ?

There also is evidence she was unwaveringly kind - the article said she was kind for 7 years to a notoriously rude client and he recognised this in giving her 50k. Doesn’t that suggest strongly her kindness was unwavering and continued in spite of rudeness ? -

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u/ZetzMemp Aug 23 '26

That’s not a narrative, that’s a requirement in almost any employment.

Make up whatever story makes you feel better at night, but don’t try using it to undermine someone else’s fair point that has way more logic than yours or this article’s fairy tale.

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u/jeadon88 Aug 23 '26

Did you even read my comment ? I didn’t undermine the role of being motivated to keep one’s job, I acknowledged that of course that would be a contributor. I also, using logic, explained that kindness and compassion as mentioned in the post isn’t required to keep one’s job (you haven’t addressed that point I made) and that it might not be the only contributor.

But go ahead man - stay in your very narrow world view, ignoring all variables except those which justify your own narrative.

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u/ZetzMemp Aug 23 '26

You absolutely did when you said everyone is making up their own narratives. I also was supporting someone else’s post, not justifying my own. I did also address the point you made when I mentioned that some level of politeness is a requirement of employment in most establishments, especially in food service where tips are your source of income.

Don’t ask someone if they read a post when you can’t even keep up with the conversation at hand. It just waste both our time and i’m not here for it.

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u/Ill-Dependent-5153 Aug 23 '26

I’ve worked in countless nursing homes and there is a lot of “not having the capacity to reciprocate”. Either they have some sort of personality altering dementia or they’re in constant chronic pain. I’ve been verbally abused/physically attacked while at work but you just gotta brush it off. Nobody really relates to old people until they’re old themselves.

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u/1K_Sunny_Crew Aug 23 '26

Someone with personality altering dementia is different though. There’s a physiological cause they can’t control.

I used to ask my mom why my grandpa was so mean - was it because being old hurt? She told me matter of fact that he had always been mean, but being old
meant he could get away with being mean to everyone now instead of just his wife and kids.

Some people are JUST mean and that’s it.

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u/Ill-Dependent-5153 Aug 23 '26

Oh yeah of course. A lot of them have cognitive decline without formal diagnosis of dementia too. Ofc there’s also going to be some that were always an ass. But the majority of them have chronic pain and that doesn’t help much with temper.

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u/1K_Sunny_Crew Aug 23 '26

I think what frustrates me is the assumption that it can’t be helped and is just part and parcel of aging or pain. My SO has been dealing with debilitating pain (CRPS) since his 20s. My MIL has gone through so many skeletal surgeries and severe pain. Yet both are the kindest, most caring people you will ever meet. They know what it feels like to be treated poorly, so they don’t do it to others.

The majority of rude customers I have met - and there were many - were “all there” mentally. They had the ability to control their temper, walk away, take a break, etc, and chose not to because there was no consequences; the business wants their money and doesn’t give a shit about the impact on employees and the customer knows that!

I’ve noticed there are a lot less obnoxious customer meltdowns in countries where this behavior isn’t tolerated towards staff. I doubt it’s that their brains are all wired differently.

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u/Huge_Swimming_5968 Aug 23 '26

If you're only kind to those that are nice to you, are you really kind at all?

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u/National_Frame2917 Aug 23 '26

But they did the good that they had the capacity for.