Memory - Thanksgiving

For my next memory, here's one that's a little bit more serious; a little bit more sad.

Last year, for Thanksgiving, we went down to Atlantic City, to the casinos (as we do on most holidays, cause we are good Christians after all...) to eat dinner and gamble. After a few hours, and a couple hundred bucks down the drain, my mom was content with her losses, and we decided to go eat.
Usually we would go to the Sands casino and eat in their "Boardwalk Buffet" (delicious mac n cheese btw). But since the Sands has been demolished, we've been going to the Showboat lately. A bit too colorful for my tastes, but its a fun atmosphere (and it only slightly smells of cigarette smoke). Their buffet, the "French Quarter" is fantastic, (apparently J.Lo. eats there all the time, but i've never seen her) so that was where we were planning to go and eat.
CLOSED
Alright, that's disappointing.
So we walk across (because they are connected) to the Taj to go to their buffet instead. (Not nearly as good)
CLOSED
O.K. now we're pissed.
So we go out side, past the House of Blues and onto the boardwalk behind the Showboat and Taj, and of course, as soon as we get out there, we're met by the freezing cold wind blowing off the ocean.
"So what about Rain Forest Cafe?" I suggest.
And that's what we decided on.
The Problem?
The Rain Forest Cafe is like 2 miles down the board walk, it's cold, we're all tired, we're all hungry.
So drastic times call for drastic measures: we hired on of those guys with the chariots to wheel us down the boardwalk.
He was a nice guy, but he was very sad. Not that he himself was emotionally upset, no, it was his situation that was sad, and i couldnt help but get a little depressed by it. Financially, as u could imagine, he wasn't the best off, and yet he had such a chipper, happy, optimistic disposition. He was tellig us his whole life story about his daughter, how he lost his previous job, about what he wanted to try to get her for Christmas and that's why he took the job as the chariot pusher.
His chariot was even "furnished" to a point. He had a car air freshener hanging, and a bombox duck taped to the ceiling, which served as a car-radio of sorts. He even hung curtains around the perimeter of the chariot to provide privacy.
It was evident he took a lot of pride in his chariot, and he even referred to it as luxourious, which reallly made me feel bad for him.
I was holding my feelings back, but my mom began crying as my father began to talk in depth with him. She didn't want him to see that she was crying, so that he wouldnt feel ashamed or pitied, but she told me later that he reminded her alot of my brother (because he was, and still kind of is, a drug addict, but thats another looong story) so it upset her to see a young man, who could have it so much better, so down on his luck.
But anyhow, he walked us to Rain Forest Cafe like a trooper, and when we got there said our ride was free, and that he'd wait there until we finished eating so that he could ride us back. We all felt really horrible, but the guy was unflinching in his resolve to be kind.
We ate dinner, never saying "Let's eat quick, so we don't keep him waiting", but we all knew that's what each other was thinking, and so, instinctually, we did. My mom had some food boxed, for what i thought, to take home and eat later.
She gave the man the food, and she was immensly greatful.
He walked us back, and we insisted he let us pay him, which he finally did. He said, "God Bless You" and walked away, back into the cold, unforgiving night.

What Did I Learn?
1) Dont judge based on appearances (He was a very nice guy despite it all)
2) Hardship can make you stronger (It was clear he had struggled in life, and learned from it)
3) Be greatful for what you do have (Not everyone is as fortunate)
4) The boardwalk is a good place for self-realization (Made me examine things a little more closely, that's for sure)