One night in New York, Julio Diaz, a social worker, got off the subway on his way to dinner. Suddenly, a teenager pulled a knife and deman...
One night in New York, Julio Diaz, a social worker, got off the subway on his way to dinner. Suddenly, a teenager pulled a knife and demanded his wallet. Julio calmly handed it over.
As the boy walked away, Julio called out:
“Wait, you forgot something — take my coat too, so you don’t get cold.”
The teen was shocked and asked why he would do that. Julio replied, “If you’re risking jail for a few dollars, you must really need the money. I was going to dinner — why don’t you join me?”
Surprisingly, the teen agreed. At the diner, he noticed how warmly everyone greeted Julio — even the dishwasher. “You’re nice to everybody,” he said in disbelief. Julio answered, “Haven’t you been taught to be kind to everyone?”
By the end of the meal, the boy returned Julio’s wallet without hesitation. Julio paid for dinner and even gave the teen $20 — in exchange for the knife.
Julio summed it up simply: “If you treat people right, you can only hope they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”
