The sweet reason a Walmart manager found this worker shoeless, wearing pink socks.
"I got the warm and fuzzy tingles."
There's good customer service, and then there's what Phil did last week for a person in need.
Customer Myrna Kines was shopping at a Walmart in Lithia Springs, Georgia, when she spotted Phil (last name omitted by request) giving his pink sneakers to a homeless man.
There was no catch. There was no ulterior motive. It was a simple, selfless act of generosity.
Kines was so in awe that she asked to snap a photo of Phil because he "needed to be commended." That pic has since gone viral after getting shared by the Facebook page Love What Matters.
"I just witnessed this young man take the shoes off of his feet and give them to a man that needed them at Walmart on...
Posted by Love What Matters on Sunday, July 31, 2016
“That touched my heart very strongly,” Kines told 11 Alive News in Atlanta, noting that Phil's matching pink sneakers and socks were the same color for a very significant reason: Phil's grandma died of breast cancer, he'd told Kines, so he wears pink in honor of her memory.
As Kines promised in her Facebook post, she called the store to tell them what an "awesome employee" they have on their hands.
When store manager Mike Kastensmidt got the message, he went to find Phil to thank him. He found his employee standing there in his socks.
"I got the warm and fuzzy tingles," Kastensmidt told Upworthy.
When asked about the incident, Phil explained to Kastensmidt that he too knows what it's like to hit rock bottom — Phil himself had been homeless as a teenager. Inspired by his employee's selflessness, Kastensmidt told Phil he could pick out any pair he'd like from the shoe department, and Kastensmidt would foot the bill.
Phil returned with a pair of shoes — not embellished sneakers or trendy new boots, but basic $13 slippers.
Photo via iStock.
As for Kines, she says it's worth noting whenever you come across generous people like Phil.
After all, the Phils of the world don't always get the positive attention and praise they deserve. They're generous and selfless because it's the right thing to do, not because they want attention.
“We live in a world full of negativity," Kines told 11 Alive. “So when you see a person do what this guy did, it deserves recognition."
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."