The other night I was leaving Fred Meyer with $250 worth of groceries in my cart when I came upon an old guy ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. An unfamiliar thought occurred to me: “I think I’ll give the Army a buck or two.” (I still don’t know where that came from, but the thought was there.) So I looked in my wallet. No bills. Dammit. I was pretty sure I had some coins in my pocket leftover from lunch so I fished around in there. I had one nickel. I flipped it into his kettle and went on my way. The “Merry Christmas” I received in return from the Major was not the most enthusiastic one I have ever received.