The Gift of a Smile: Neighbors Inspired by Osman

“Another sweltering summer day in Houston,” thought Joanie Murland. Squinting through the glare of the sun, Joanie pushed her cart across the steamy Walmart pavement. The heat made it hard to breathe. She cranked her car A/C to full blast. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the young man wrangling the shopping carts. Every time she spotted him, she noticed he always had a beaming smile and made a point to wave and say hello, no matter how hot or busy he was.

Joanie waved back at him. Seeing him always cheered up her day. She decided to repay the favor by going to get him a frozen Slushie and telling him how much she appreciated his hard work. He smiled even brighter when she handed the drink to him.

Another time Joanie brought him a fabric hat with flaps to help shade his head and neck. Again, he was very thankful and she was happy to see him wearing it the next time she went to the store.

Joanie was so inspired by this man’s great attitude that she got on her computer and wrote a post on Nextdoor, a social network for neighborhoods:

Osman Hassan, still smiling at the end of a long shift.

 

Random Acts of Kindness

Dear Neighbors,

With the temperatures soaring to greater heights each day, it does not deter the man, pushing carts at Walmart Grocery on Hillcroft, to do his job. No matter what the weather, he is in the parking lot gathering carts for his customers. His job is not an easy task and I hope, like myself, you notice how hard he works. I ask that you display this goodness by recognizing this man’s determination to work and reward him in some way. Let him know he is appreciated and that his labor intensive job is noticed. Letting him know that we applaud his willingness to earn an honest but very hard living every day.

Thank you.

Joanie clicked Send.

Later, when she checked her email, she was pleasantly surprised at the large number of responses. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one impressed by this man.

Many had experienced positive encounters and raved about him. 

Nextdoor posters gather thanks to their favorite shopping cart wrangler, Osman, who brings a dose of positivity to their lives. (From left) Nancy Holt, Jazz Paz, Robin Truitt (back), Osman Hassan, Becky Truitt (back) Joanie Murland, Gail Reaben. (Photo: Connor Woodruff)

A few comments Buzz residents posted on Nextdoor included:

Lee Murphy: “His name is Osman Hassan and he is originally from Somalia, 29 years old and lives with his father. He loves to watch soccer and plays it once a week. He loves his job because he gets to meet and help people.”

Nancy Holt: “He is truly one of the nicest people I have ever met. Osman recently became a US Citizen. He was so proud – showed me a picture of him with a giant smile and holding his certificate. Always waves, always smiling and always very helpful. We call each other ‘my friend’.”

Gail Reaben: “I know which man you are referring to. His is a hard working and kind and you know that he will always persevere even though you can sense his life has been difficult. Thank you for thinking of him and yes, a thank you would make his day.”

Becky Truitt: “My husband (Robin) has developed a friendship with this young man. He always has a friendly smile on his face. The store is lucky to have him for an employee.”

Carla Heverly: “I speak with Osman daily. He seriously enjoys his soccer team Manchester United.” 

The accolades went on and on.  Some of the phrases used to describe Osman included: wonderful, genuine, great example, incredible, hardworking, kind soul and courteous.

Jazz Paz: “Osman taught himself English by ‘chatting with everyone’. He learned it on the job while in the parking lot. He just decided it was necessary.”

Jazz was so inspired that she came up with the great idea to print all of the quotes and send them to Walmart’s corporate offices in Arkansas to let them know what a positive impact Osman had made on his community. Jazz also gathered the quotes into two binders and delivered them to Osman’s store manager, Sam.

Osman Hassan with a stray shopping cart. Osman is proudly wearing the hat Joanie bought him to help block the sun.

 

​When Osman’s boss called him into the office, Osman was afraid he might be in trouble. Then Sam handed him the binder and explained it was full of nice things customers had written about him. Osman was overwhelmed. He took the binder home so he could show his dad. He was happy to realize how much he was appreciated.

Osman asked Jazz to please give thanks to everyone and said, “My customers are my family. I love you all.”

Eventually there were over 65 responses. Joanie wrote a follow-up:

“I can’t thank you enough for making my original post so much more than it even was intended. I am extremely happy that this has manifested into such a wonderfully huge act of kindness for Osman. He deserves the best. I wanted neighbors to notice him, not just as the man who collects carts, but also for what all the posts described about this special man. This entire experience has made me so happy for Osman. I have so much respect for Osman and it is great to know that others appreciate him too!”

Joanie also shared, “Osman looks at his job as an opportunity to learn and to make new friends and form new relationships. I did not know all this about him until I began receiving post after post with so many accolades about him.  There are Osmans everywhere. Opportunities to show random acts of kindness to others are right in front of our noses. They say that just smiling and saying hello to a stranger can save one's life just by showing you care. “

Whether a friendly smile, a cold drink or a good review . . . in a parking lot, in front of a computer screen or in a boss’s office . . . you never know when or where you might have the opportunity to give or receive a random act of kindness. Thanks to Osman, Joanie, Jazz and the entire Osman Fan Club for the inspiration.

What random act of kindness can you share today? A bright Osman smile might be just the thing to get you started.