The 'Toothpaste' of Strangers

Tonight I saw what kindness is.

Tonight, kindness was toothpaste.

It was about 10:13 PM in the capital city of San José, and I was just making use of the high-speed internet at my hotel and g-chatting with my sister, when I told her to hang on so I could "wash up for bed." Much to my dismay, I quickly realized I forgot to pack toothpaste, or anything remotely close to resembling toothpaste that could make-do for the evening.

After beginning to just brush my teeth with the wet brush and any leftover toothpaste that might have still been on there from breakfast, my sister's g-chat messages popped up about how she hates not brushing her teeth and that perhaps I should go see if the front desk has any sort of store or complimentary items for forgetful travelers.

'Yeah right,' I thought. 'Not in Costa Rica.'

But she convinced me to go anyway.

I arrive at the front desk, no one else is around, but the guy behind the desk watching TV.

In Spanish I say....

"Excuse me, you don't happen to have any toiletries to buy if someone forgot something....like toothpaste?"

"Noooo, nooooo ma'am. Sorry."

"Is there somewhere close I could buy some?"

"There is a supermarket about 7 blocks away"

"Ohhhh, that's too bad. I don't really want to leave at this hour."

After an awkward silence, feigning extreme disappointment about not being able to brush my teeth this evening...

"Welllll.......I do have my toothpaste here, and I could give you a little?"

"Really? You could?"

After going in the back room to get his tube of Crest, minty paste out of his overnight bag, there I was at the front desk with my pink toothbrush, eagerly awaiting. Popping back the cap, I squeezed it out and tried to put a dab on the brush without touching my bristles. Then I mumbled in Spanish what I was trying to do.

"Don't worry," he says.

There I am, with a 1/2-inch glob of toothpaste hanging from his tube and me trying to vigilantly cut it off on my brush. Finally, success! I tapped the extra toothpaste back down in the tube, gingerly smiled, vocalized a quick 'gracias!', walked back to my room with toothbrush in hand, and smeared half of it off onto toilet paper for the morning.

My teeth are thanking that kind man at the front desk.

And like Tennessee Williams said in 1951, "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," I, too, tonight, depended on the kindness of strangers. And for me, kindness and toothpaste went hand-in-hand.