Thomas McFall caught his own ignorance, acknowledged it, and made things right.
Hey guys, I know I usually just post shitty jokes on my Twitter but bear with me because I wanted to share something.
So in one of my Management classes I sit in the same seat in the front every day. Every single day I sit there.
Now, I also sit next to some foreign guy that
— Thomas McFall (@thomas___mcfall) April 9, 2018
He wrote a thread of tweets about this particular classmate he had in one of his management classes. And while Thomas used to tweet about jokes and anything funny, he went off track this once to tell his story and hopefully send out a message to everyone.
He said that during the semester at school, he sat in the same spot every single day.
His seat was near the front of the class and also near the door. If he ever arrived late, he could slip in quickly without disrupting others.
Thomas also shared that he sat next to a guy who he suspected may be new to America.
According to Thomas, whenever he walked into class, the guy beside him always had his stuff on Thomas’s chair. The guy’s books, bag, phone, and even his food!
Every single time, despite knowing that Thomas sat in that seat, the guy beside him would put his stuff on Thomas’s chair.
This annoyed Thomas very much.
What annoyed him even more was that when his classmate would notice that Thomas had gotten to class, he would greet Thomas, saying, “Ah, Tom. You here. Okay.”
He would then frantically clear up the desk and chair so Thomas could sit down.
They would do this every single day.
Not only that, but the classmate also made casual small talk – about the same things every single day.
He would ask Thomas, “Ready for class, yeah?” and give him a high five.
Thomas did not understand what this guy was trying to do.
It was such a small thing, but it really irked Thomas that he would do this every single day when he clearly already knew that Thomas sat in that seat.
Then one day, Thomas arrived late – and started to see things differently.
Thomas had been outside of the room to send a text message before coming to class. Another student also arrived late and attempted to sneak into Thomas’s chair.
The irksome classmate, the one who Thomas had always found so grating, stopped the late student and told him: “I’m sorry. My good friend Thomas sits here.”
The moment was a big revelation for Thomas.
That’s when he realized what his seatmate was trying to do.
He had been so focused on himself and his convenience that he hadn’t even realized that this whole time the “annoying” classmate had been saving his seat for him.
Thomas realized how stupid he was for thinking badly of the guy.
So, Thomas did what he thought would be a good start to their friendship. He asked if the classmate wanted to grab a bite to eat after class. The two shared lunch, and that’s when Thomas learned more about his foreign classmate.
The man was from the Middle East and had come to America to finish his studies.
I asked him how he liked America as well. He said he misses his family but it’s exciting to be here. He also said “Not every American is nice to me like you are, Tom.”
I bought lunch, of course. Dude deserves it. He gave me a high five for buying lunch. Gotta keep up tradition.
— Thomas McFall (@thomas___mcfall) April 9, 2018
Thomas’s classmate also told him that he had two kids and a wife, both of whom he missed very much. Thomas also learned that the man worked full time and sent whatever was left of his salary to his family back home.
He also said, “Not every American is nice to me like you are, Tom.”
This story is a great reminder to stop focusing so much on ourselves that we fail to see the kindness before our eyes.
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