T.A.P. into the Possibilities

Believe that the possibility exists and then make extraordinary things happen.

Tag Archives: positive


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James

Have you seen the filter that makes you look like you’re crying and your face is distorted? I went to the gas station to get some gas before I started driving. When I pulled up to the pump, there were two young men talking.

One was a younger man with a British accent, and he was talking to a man who was sitting on the ground next to the pump. I went into the store and when I came out and was walking toward my car, I saw the face of the man who was sitting next to my car. His face was distorted with grief and tears were streaming down his face. He had been crying for a while, because his eyes were red and a little swollen.

I walked over to the man who was sitting on the island ledge and asked him what was wrong. He started to tell me about the people in his life that did not care about him and those who had mistreated him. He told me his name was James and that he was homeless and living in a tent right up the street.

I could feel the weight that he was existing under simply by listening to his voice and watching the expressions wash over his face. It was clear he was in emotional distress, so I tried to help. While I was listening to him talk, the young man with a British accent, bought him a full pizza and a bottle of water.

I asked James what I could do for him and he explained to me that someone had flattened the tire on his bicycle and he had no way to get around. I told him there was a bike shop about three minutes from us and that I would call and see if they were open. I called Mike’s Bike Shop and he was getting ready to close so I explained the situation and he said to meet him in the alley behind his bike shop.

The gentleman who had bought James the pizza also gave him seven dollars because James had googled how much an innertube for a bicycle would cost, but he did not have any money.

We put James’ bicycle in the back of my car and I drove for about three minutes to Mike’s Bike Shop.  As we were driving down Pico Blvd, James looked over and calmly said, “They are stealing stuff from my tent.“ I asked him if he wanted to turn around. He said, “No.” When we arrived at the shop, I pulled the owner over to the side and explained the situation to him. I had five dollars left on my Venmo card and seven dollars left on my PayPal card. That along with the seven dollars that James had was enough to pay for a new innertube.

While James’ bike was being repaired, I asked him if I could have a slice of pizza because I was hungry. He was so gracious and said I could have as many pieces as I wanted, but I only ate one. Once his bike was fixed, I said a prayer for him and I was on my way. As I was driving off, he smiled at me with his hands placed together like he was in prayer and repeated, “God Bless her” over and over. 

I wholeheartedly believe that acts of kindness are permitted to overcome obstacles so that they can come to fruition. It’s the little things that make a difference for a person. Sometimes, all it costs is our time. You never know the ripple effect you can create with an act of kindness so please be kind and thank you for reading my story.


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Learning to Receive

I love doing community outreach. It is so rewarding to see the looks on people’s faces and their reactions when they are inside a moment of kindness. That is what happened to me today when I took my car to Just Tires to get the yearly Lyft California Vehicle Inspection.

When my car was finished and I went back to the receptionist, she informed me that it was $25 and I did not have the cash so I texted my best friend and he sent money via Venmo. Their atmosphere was nice so I was sitting in the lobby enjoying the peace.

Dasiah called me to the counter. When I went over to the counter, she was counting out a stack of one dollar bills and food had just been delivered. I immediately started joking with her. I said, with a smile on my face, “I’ll take a little bit of that food, if you can spare it. She chuckled and kept counting the one dollar bills.

Then I said, “You have enough dollar bills there to hit the strip club” and I laughed loudly. Dasiah kept counting and replied, “These bills are for you. We all chipped in and we are paying your fee for the check-up. I was absolutely stunned and I said, “What…wait…what?!?” I’m not usually speechless, but I was this time.

By then, my friend had sent me the money so I offered to pay for the services and they would not allow me to do that. Their act of kindness really touched my heart and it made me feel very special.

Thank you to my mechanic, Jorge (pictured). Thank you, Just Tires staff (Dasiah, Jorge, Carl, Marco and “anonymous”) for your above-and-beyond customer service. You made my day. 😊


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Feeding Mr. Grey

An overwhelming desire for some french fries dominated my thoughts and pushed its way up to the top of my to-do list. Luckily, I was not far from a McDonalds that I knew had extremely tasty french fries so I drove in. The anticipation of blowing on a long, perfectly shaped fry before I popped it into my mouth was on replay in my head.. I got my order and drove through the small lot looking for a place to devour my bag of goodies. Ah-ha, I spotted a place in the shade and drove toward it. As I gocloser I saw a shopping cart that I thought was blocking the space. the relief was short lived hen I saw that it wasn;t because then i noticed a man standing to the side of it. His image had been blocked by the parked car beside the open space. i reached into my bag and pulled out a french fry. it did not disappoint as my mouth watered at the taste of perfectly salted potato. I pressed the brake when I saw the homeless man. His cart was probably shiny and silver at one time, but now it had a dull gray tone to it which at certain spots yielded to burgundy spots of jagged rust. His looked like a gray ghost with clothes that had changed from white to gray as they carried the dirt of his struggles in their fabric. His hair was gray not only from dust, but from living a hard life of many years, yet his eyes still kept their hue as he looked at me and smiled. Aw, man, I can’t sit ib frint if him and eat.” I thought. “I have to move to another space so I can eat in peace.”

I drove about six feet when I gave myself a conscious slp in the heart. “What is your problem, Teresa. Are you really going to go to another part of this lot and eat after what you have just seen?!? I dared myself to continue one more inch. the shame was almost too much to bear and I hung my head as I looked at the bag and sighed. I put the car in reverse and drove over to the spot. I asked the guy if he was hungry. He slowly got up and walked over to my car. “Yes, I am,” he replied. “You know, I really love this McDonald’s french fries, but I want to give you this food,  I only ate one fry out of it.” He smiled at me and I gave him the bag and a soda. I then told him, “I am sorry that I almost pulled away. That was very selfish of me and I am ashamed that I did that.” What he said to me confirmed what I suspected, that compassion is a gift that can come from anyone. He said, “I knew you were going to come back, I could see it in your face and then when I saw your break lights come on, I knew you were just trying to work it out in your head.” That gave me a strange sense of relief like he had forgiven my hesitation and I promised him that I would not hesitate at the next opportunity to help someone. I drove back to the drive-thru and ordered again. On my way out of the drive-thru, I saw another man standing next to a worn down bicycle with clothes crumbled up on a make-shift rack which he had attached to the back of the bike. I looked up and said, “Really, God?!? I am not going to get to eat this bag of fries either? I guess I am going to circle the drive-thru all day.”  I laughed and drove up to the man who smiled at me as if he knew what was going to happen. I tried not to sound hesitant as I asked him, “Are you hungry?” He said he was so I gave him the food and drove back around to the drive thru for a third time. By now I had to convince the guy at the window that I was giving the food away and not eating it. He laughed and swiped my debit card for a third time. I was sure I would get to eat some fries this time. I slowly drove around the corner after I got my bag of food and to my relief, the coast was clear. It was my turn to eat now. I drove to a space under the shade and looked around one more time before I began to eat, still looking around occasionally. That night when I got home, I checked my bank account online only to find that I was overdrawn by $38. There had not been any money in my account when I purchased the three meals. Sometimes things just work out better than they were supposed to and I remain grateful for that.


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Life Captured

Life Captured

Trying to capture life
Like lightness of a feather
Looking up to find the sun
In any kind of weather
Feeling dreams as light as air
That drift by without traction
Knowing that it’s better to
Maintain a kind reaction
Free to stay inside a cage
Or free to live without it
Free to understand our worth
And never ever doubt it

Written by Carmen Portilla and Teresa A. Pitts


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Going My Way

I had decided to go to the 6:00 a.m. service at Faithful Central Bible Church today, but when I woke up at 5:00 a.m., it was raining, cold and dark and I was still tired so I set my alarm clock for a later time so I could go to the 10:00 a.m. service. On my way to the church, I saw a guy running down La Brea Avenue with his hand in the air as if he was trying to hail a taxi. It was not a taxi, but the bus which moved away from him to the middle lane and kept on moving down the street. I felt that I should give him a ride and I was not worried about being late for church because of it. I turned around and pulled up on his side of the street. I asked him if he was trying to catch the bus and he said, “Yes.” I asked him if I could take him to his destination. He saw the Uber sticker in my window and said, “Are you Uber?” I told him that I was not working and could give him a ride without charging him. He smiled and got into my car. He asked me where I was going and I told him, “I am going to Faithful Central.” I then asked him where he was going and he replied, “The same place.” We both laughed and rode on down the street, talking and laughing. When we arrived, he pulled out $10 and before he could hand it to me, I said, “I can’t take that, just do something nice for someone else, that is how I do it.” He asked, “Is that what you want me to do?” and I said, “Yes, that is how I do it.” He said, “OK and I want you to take this money. That’s how I do it.” I chuckled and accepted his money. We were walking through the parking lot to the church when he stopped and said, “Oh no, I think I left my phone in your car and then he apologized profusely while we were walking back to the car. I kept telling him not to worry because I needed the exercise. We both laughed. He got his phone and we walked back and entered the church with the choir and congregation singing. As I went to my seat, I was grateful that I was in the right place at the right time. May that continue to happen. As for the $10, I am going to get ten single dollar bills and keep them in the door pocket so that when I drive pass people on the street who are asking for money, I don’t have to fumble around in my bag and miss the opportunity to give them their dollar.‪


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Shaken But Not Broken

She hardly looked at me as she jumped into my car, slammed the door and said sharply, Go straight!” It took her one breath to tell me that as she kept talking on her phone. When I looked into the rear view mirror at her face, I instantly felt a sense of sadness. She was a beautiful girl, probably in her first year at UCLA. She had on brightly colored shorts and a summertime top with wavy blonde hair tossed carelessly over her shoulders. The weather was warm with a cool breeze and the campus was alive with people hurrying to get to their destinations.

I did not listen to her conversation, but the person on the other end of her conversation could not have been talking much as she rattled off a series of fast sentences drenched in a restrained panic. She paused long enough to bark another order, “Turn left here!” I continued to drive and I felt sorry for this young stranger. I wanted to tell her that it was going to be alright. I kept silent. The desire to tell her grew stronger and I dismissed it because she was on the phone talking, non-stop. When she released the call, I looked in the mirror at her face which looked like she had received the worst news. Her blue eyes probably sparkled when she smiled, but at this moment, they were sad…worried, and she looked out the window not seeing all the beauty that the day was dangling in front of her. Her voice softened as she said, “I am sorry, take a right here, please.” She must have suddenly become aware of the tone she was using to speak to me.

At the stop sign, I called her by name, “Amanda…” She did not hear me, too deep in the thoughts that had blinded her to her actions. She was on emotional auto-pilot. Again, I softly called her name, “Amanda…” When she looked at me, I looked her straight in her eyes and said, “It is going to be alright.” Our glance was constant as if, over her first response to doubt me, she was trying to see if I was telling the truth. I was not prepared for what happened next because her eyes instantly welled up with tears that rolled down her cheeks like they had been waiting for permission to fall. I clumsily grabbed a box of Kleenex from under my center dash and handed the box to her. She pulled several tissues out of the box and lowered her face into the soft pillow she had created in her hands. As soon as she dried her face, more tears fell and she told me that all of her classes had been dropped and she was devastated. It was her first year at UCLA and now she had to maneuver through life’s obstacles without the immediate cloak of directional protection from her mom and dad who usually stepped in to smooth things out for her.

She was going to the class to plead with the instructor to add her into the class. I told her that it was all going to work out for her, but that she had to believe that. I told her she was given this obstacle to make her stronger, even if it seemed unfair. “You will understand this challenge later, but for now. Go to the class and calmly talk to the professor. I graduated from here in 2012 and I can tell you that instructors add you when they say they are not adding anymore students and they make a way for you when you are sure they will not, but you have to ask them. If you have the time, splash some cold water on your face before you go to class. You are going to be fine, Amanda. Try not to worry too much.” She smiled at me and it was like the sun pushed past stormy clouds to change the look of the day. Her face changed, “Thank you so much, Teresa, you can just let me out at the corner,” she said in a tone that suggested she thought she had taken too much of my time. I smiled and took her right up to the building’s entrance. She thanked me again through a vulnerable smile as she hopped out of my car and ran up the stairs. I hope she remembers what I told her. She is going to be alright.


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One Happy Meal

A few days ago, I was driving home. It was dark and I decided to go to McDonald to get a happy meal (I keep the toys for the kids’ baskets that I make at Christmas). As I drove up, there was a choice of two lanes to drive through. I squinted at the menu and in the first lane there was a woman huddled under the sign clutching her belongings close to her chest. I decided to go to the other ordering station, but while I sat there, I started to feel ashamed. What was wrong with me? I had intentionally avoided someone who was in need. I lost my appetite, but I went through the drive-thru and ordered a happy meal anyway. I circled back around to see if she was still there and she was gone. I shook my head and just sat there. How could I have been so selfish? I was disappointed in myself and then I stopped thinking about myself and did what I do best…find people. I looked over to my left and saw the shadow of a small woman walking slowly through the parking lot with her head held down like she was watching her feet. I secretly prayed this was her. I drove slowly up to her, rolled down my window and asked her if she was hungry. She turned and said she was so I gave her the food. She thanked me for the food and immediately went over and squatted beneath a nearby tree. She looked down, placed her belongings closely beside her and began eating slowly as she looked around in the darkness. You could barely see her squatting there in the shadow of the tree that kept the luminosity of the street light from giving her away. I learned a valuable lesson from that encounter. Sometimes, it does not matter if you hesitate to do something right as long as you do it.


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A Song for Twenty Strangers

I was standing in line chatting with the customers and humming along with Muzak. When I got up to the window, I heard a very tall and commanding man behind me say, “I thought I heard someone singing.” I turned to him and said with a big smile, “I was humming. You could hear me?” He shook his head in acknowledgement and asked me if I could sing as good as Howard Hewett, who was singing, “This Ring” over the sound system. I smiled at him and said, “Oh, I can sing!” He then said, if you can sing better than Howard, I will give you $20 (wait for it…). The teller was busy typing into the computer so I had time to have the conversation. The man then started to talk about the best fried chicken was…I interrupted and said, “Don’t try to change the subject, I was getting ready to sing.” The people in line laughed and waited for me to begin. I started to sing, “Who’s Loving You,” as I slowly walked toward him and reached for the $20 that he had peeled from a large wad of cash. The people in line were smiling and the tellers were smiling and the manager walked out to listen. The man gave me the $20 after I successfully hit the high note at the end of the song and said, “I bet she didn’t know that she would be getting this $20 at the credit union today.” To which I replied, “No, I didn’t, but I did know that I would receive a blessing today because God is good!”. Everyone looked happy even the people who were standing in line with serious faces before I sang. I walked out waving and said, “I’ll be here all week!” I could hear people laughing as I walked out. As I drove off, a lady was walking to her car and she gave me this huge smile and I smiled back. I have been a member of this credit union since 1981 and this is the first time I have sung in their lobby. Who knows, it might not be the last.


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An Obedient Heart

I had decided to go to the 6:00 a.m. service at Faithful Central Bible Church today, but when I woke up at 5:00 a.m., it was raining, cold and dark and I was still tired so I set my alarm clock for a later time so I could go to the 10:00 a.m. service. On my way to the church, I saw a guy running down La Brea Avenue with his hand in the air as if he was trying to hail a taxi. It was not a taxi, but the bus which moved away from him to the middle lane and kept on moving down the street. I felt that I should give him a ride and I was not worried about being late for church because of it. I turned around and pulled up on his side of the street. I asked him if he was trying to catch the bus and he said, “Yes.” I asked him if I could take him to his destination. He saw the Uber sticker in my window and said, “Are you Uber?” I told him that I was not working and could give him a ride without charging him. He smiled and got into my car. He asked me where I was going and I told him, “I am going to Faithful Central.” I then asked him where he was going and he replied, “The same place.” We both laughed and rode on down the street, talking and laughing. When we arrived, he pulled out $10 and before he could hand it to me, I said, “I can’t take that, just do something nice for someone else, that is how I do it.” He asked, “Is that what you want me to do?” and I said, “Yes, that is how I do it.” He said, “OK and I want you to take this money. That’s how I do it.” I chuckled and accepted his money. We were walking through the parking lot to the church when he stopped and said, “Oh no, I think I left my phone in your car and then he apologized profusely while we were walking back to the car. I kept telling him not to worry because I needed the exercise. We both laughed. He got his phone and we walked back and entered the church with the choir and congregation singing. As I went to my seat, I was grateful that I was in the right place at the right time. May that continue to happen. As for the $10, I am going to get ten single dollar bills and keep them in the door pocket so that when I drive pass people on the street who are asking for money, I don’t have to fumble around in my bag and miss the opportunity to give them their dollar.


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With the Right Heart

I had a very important meeting a few days ago and it went very well. On my way home, I stopped by my favorite chicken place to get some biscuits. Believe it or not, I don’t go for the chicken, but I love the biscuits. When I drove up to the window, I ordered my biscuits with an excitement that I could hardly obtain. Then, I stopped and had the feeling that I should order lunch. I didn’t really want to order from this place, but my stomach reminded me that I was indeed hungry so I ordered a shrimp lunch. When I got to the window, I asked the clerk what came with the meal and she said it came with a biscuit and fries. I didn’t really want the fries so I asked if I could substitute the fries with coleslaw. Her face told me that was going to be a problem so I smiled and said, “The fries are already done, huh? Ok, that’s alright.” She smiled at me and said, “Don’t worry, I will just give the coleslaw to you.” I thanked her and when she handed me the food, I said, “Have a blessed life!” and drove off as she stood at the window smiling.

I still had to get gas so I said lovingly to my car, “I am going to put some gas in you right now. Please don’t strand us.” I came to the next intersection with gas stations on three corners. I reluctantly chose the Shell station (nothing personal. Shell). When I drove up to my pump, I noticed a man asleep against the wall. He had a half bottle of orange juice next to him and crumbled trash bags surrounding him. I now understood why I had bought the food. I walked over to him and without waking him, I placed the food beside him and walked back to my car to continue pumping gas. I prayed to God to make his food invisible to everyone, but him. I did not want anyone to take it. As I pumped my gas, I smiled at the thought of him waking up to a hot meal and then I thought that I should wake him to make sure he knew he had food. I drove by and said, “Excuse me, sir.” He woke up and seemed a little disoriented. I smiled at him and said, “I bought some food for you.” I had to point to the food because he was still waking up. When he looked over to where I was pointing and saw the food, he smiled the most sincere smile and his face looked overjoyed. He immediately opened the box as I drove off around the back of the gas station. Then it hit me, I should give him the bottled water too…but my last two biscuits too?!? I was still hungry, but I drove back around and got out of my car and gave him the water and…yes, my last two precious biscuits (if you only knew…lol), He thanked God and so did I as I drove down La Brea smiling with my stomach growling.