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Retired Teacher Pays for Stranger’s Groceries Before Making a Shocking Discovery About His True Identity
5DWallpaper ^ | June 29, 2022 | Jas C

Posted on 01/07/2023 7:30:38 AM PST by Hostage

A few months old, a bit long, but entirely worth it:

Retired Teacher Pays for Stranger’s Groceries Before Making a Shocking Discovery About His True Identity

It's no secret that the world can turn around even with the smallest gestures. It only takes one moment to change your life and the lives of everyone around you. And the world's desperately in need of kindness and positivity.

One particular woman chose to do a small act of kindness, having no idea who the recipient was of her good deed.

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What she thought was a simple act of kindness turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of her life and her story quickly went viral.

A Retired Teacher

Ruth Reed is a retired teacher from Medford, New Jersey. She’s just a regular everyday person who lives a quiet and humble life with her husband.

The two spend a lot of time together and they decided to regularly perform small acts of kindness throughout the day.

A particularly small pact they pledged is to exhibit generosity as much as possible and wherever possible. And while there were many acts throughout the years, Reed couldn't have imagined that one of them would make her famous.

Morning Shopping Routine

Ruth Reed's day started out like most other days in her life. The New Jersey native woke up and headed to her local Wawa convenience store.

Wawa is very famous shopping chain in the east coast it can be found in most major cities on this side of the country.

Reed wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen when she walked into the convenience store and she had no idea that she was about to experience something amazing.

A Familiar Face

Local stores are somewhat of a get-together place and it's not unlikely to run into someone you know while shopping at them. If you live nearby and go to the same grocery stores on a regular basis, it's not uncommon to see some familiar faces while doing your weekly shop.

But this fateful morning, Ruth Reed wasn't just going to see someone that she knew, she was about to run into a face the whole world was familiar with.

She couldn't have known that her simple act of kindness would reach the entire globe.

A Stranger in Need

Reed found all that she needed and she was ready to finish her routine morning shopping. She stepped to the checkout counter and was ready to pay when she noticed something happening up front.

It looked like a man paying for his groceries was having trouble with the payment process.

This can be very stressful, especially if there's a big line behind you waiting to finish their shopping.

Luckily for him, Ruth Reed was standing in the same line and she was ready to help.

Helping Out

When Reed saw the customer up front struggling to make the payment for his groceries, she decided to step up and help the stranger.

In normal situations, when you bring groceries to the counter and don’t have the means to pay, you return some or all the groceries and you only buy what you can pay for.

But Ruth Reed was not about to allow this customer to go home empty-handed.

She went to the front of the line and she decided to pay for his groceries.

But she still had no idea about the true identity of the lucky shopper.

The Generosity Pledge

What's great about Ruth Reed is that this wasn't some random or impulsive act of kindness—it was a decision she made with her husband a long time ago. They pledged to always help people in need at the grocery store.

While they help everyone, they especially want to help soldiers and veterans as a sign of appreciation for their service.

"We decided when we saw military people we would treat them at Wawa or Dunkin Donuts or whatever," said Reed in an interview with CBS Philly.

It goes without saying that the Reeds were committed to this life of generosity and charity.

No Second Thoughts

After witnessing the man’s struggle to process the payment, Reed did not waste any time. She jumped to the front of the line and she offered to pay for the groceries.

"It looked like he was using a card, and it didn't go through,” Reed explained. “And then he asked a young lady for five dollars, and I thought, ‘this is it.’ So I said, 'No, I'll get it.’”

It was just like any other day, and she paid no attention to the identity of the customer. An opportunity to help someone presented itself, and she jumped right in.

A Celebrity Look-Alike

After this incredible gesture, the customer at the counter seemed eternally grateful and he kept thanking Reed. The two continued to chat and Reed noticed something awfully familiar about his face. He eventually told her his name was Keith.

Funnily enough, he had the same name and he looked exactly like the country singer Keith Urban. But what are the chances of running into a celebrity like this? It had to be a random look-alike customer.

Or was it really the country music legend himself?

An Uncanny Resemblance

The more Reed talked to the stranger, the more he she thought that he looked like the country singer. But Reed just couldn’t believe her eyes, and at one point, she even told him he looked exactly like Keith Urban.

The man laughed and replied that he was Keith Urban! Reed was stumped and she couldn't believe that she was standing next to the country star.

Surely a celebrity with the status of Keith Urban would shop at a more high-profile store. Plus, he couldn't possible have needed someone to pay for his groceries.

Uncovering the True Identity

Reed’s skepticism grew, and even though the man looked exactly like him, she refused to believe that she’d met up with a celebrity at her local store.

She kept talking to the man and asking him questions in the hopes of revealing his true identity. She even asked him where his wife Nicole Kidman was.

Surely the celebrity power couple would do their shopping together at some high-profile spot.

Reed was still unsure if the customer was Keith Urban and she was more determined than ever to find out.

It's Keith Urban!

Excited by the possibility of chatting with a world-famous celebrity, Reed became completely oblivious to her surroundings. But as she continued to ask questions, she noticed something in the background that made everything clear. She saw bodyguards that surrounded this mysterious stranger.

It suddenly became evident that the man was telling the truth. He was indeed country legend Keith Urban! Wow, what were the chances?

Reed explained her reaction in an interview with NBC Philly, “I just fell apart. And he was so gracious.”

Embarrassed by the Situation

What are the chances of going shopping at a local grocery store and bumping into a high-profile celebrity like Keith Urban and then paying for his groceries?

Now that Reed confirmed his identity, she was totally embarrassed by the whole situation. She openly doubted him and asked him all sorts of questions to uncover the truth. But the popular country singer wasn’t fazed or offended by this at all.

In fact, he probably found it amusing because it's hard to believe that you’d run into a mega-celebrity in a local store.

Country Music Legend

When Reed finally realized that she was in the presence of Keith Urban, she was shocked. The man was who he said he was and he happened to be one of the most popular country music stars in the world.

Throughout his successful career, Keith Urban's had a ton of chart-topping singles and albums.

The country music singer spends a lot of his time in New Zealand and Australia, but he's still managed to become a huge star in the United States.

A Vast Fortune

Besides the fame, Urban managed to amass a vast fortune thanks to his numerous hits and achievements in the country music industry.

On top of this, he's married to Nicole Kidman, an equally successful and wealthy celebrity actress.

There's no doubt that the Urban-Kidman household is financially secure. So why did Urban need help from a complete stranger at the convenience store?

Surely, they are rich enough to buy the Wawa store chain, let alone pay for the groceries.

Sometimes it Isn’t Enough

Life can be funny sometimes. It turns out that no matter how much money you have in the bank or how big your credit card limit is, sometimes it just isn’t enough. You never know when you'll have an unlucky day of not being able to pay for your groceries.

As it turns out on that fateful day, Urban only had $10 in his wallet. Since he brought groceries that cost more, he took out his credit card to pay for the rest. Unfortunately, the system was down, and his payment wasn’t able to go through.

Luckily for him, Ruth Reed was there to help out.

Down-to-Earth Person

It's interesting that Urban remained down-to-earth and humble, despite his mega-stardom and popularity. Most celebrities of his status have people that do the shopping for them. But Keith Urban wanted to show everyone that he's still just a normal guy that can end up in awkward situations like the rest of us.

Not only was he shopping at a local grocery store, but he also got caught unprepared and he wasn’t able to pay for his groceries due to a system crash. No amount of wealth and fame could help him with this. But a certain lady named Ruth Reed could.

Not only was he shopping at a local grocery store, but he also got caught unprepared and he wasn’t able to pay for his groceries due to a system crash. No amount of wealth and fame could help him with this. But a certain lady named Ruth Reed could.

An Extraordinary Lady

While Keith Urban showed everyone that he’s just a regular guy, Ruth Reed, on the other hand, showed everyone that she’s anything but ordinary.

Most of us like to believe we would help out someone in need, but the reality is, not everyone is ready to walk the walk. However, Ruth Reed was and she jumped in on the situation faster than anyone else could. She wasn’t in it for the fame or special prizes, it was just the way she lived her life.

Urban was so impressed by this little lady, who at first glance didn’t even recognize him, that he wanted to do something for her in return.

How did he thank Reed for her kind act?

Personal Satisfaction

After the whole situation passed, Urban was keen on repaying her kindness, but Reed wanted none of it.

She wasn’t doing this because he was Keith Urban, the world-famous country singer. Rather, she did it because it made her feel good and this was how she chose to live her life—she enjoyed helping other people and brightening someone else's day.

She wasn’t aiming for a special reward or recognition and she would’ve done it for anyone. This impressed Urban even more.

Repaying Kindness

But there was one thing that Reed wanted and it wasn't a special reward.

Reed asked the country singer for a quick photo with her new celebrity friend. For her, this was the ultimate prize.

Seeing how she initially struggled to believe it was actually him, she wanted proof that she met the real-life Keith Urban.

Urban gladly agreed to pose for a photo with Reed and the two of them snapped a photo together outside the convenience store.

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We can't even begin to imagine how shocked Reed’s friends and family must've been when they saw the photo of her with the country music star!

“Nicest Lady in Medford”

Such an amazing experience had to be shared with her loved ones. After she sent the photo to her friends and family, Reed decided to post it on her social media accounts as well. And just when she thought her day couldn’t get any better or more exciting, she went viral!

Her post was shared thousands of times and she received incredible comments from people in her community. Some of them commented on how Keith Urban was the lucky one, as he met “one of the nicest ladies in Medford.”

Going Worldwide

Reed’s popularity didn’t stop in the comment section—she caught the attention of the media and various news stations like CBS Philly.

They contacted Reed and wanted to do a full interview on the situation and that wasn’t all. The story went so viral that it even reached Urban’s hometown in Australia and New Zealand.

This amazing show of generosity was featured on the radio program The Kyle & Jackie O Show. Ruth Reed, an ordinary lady from Medford, was suddenly popular throughout the world and everyone was in awe of her generosity.

Kindness Inspires Kindness

This simple act of generosity was appreciated by many viewers and reporters. But it was not the only the story that went viral. It seems that kindness was catching on as well. The owners of the Wawa wanted to show their appreciation and honor the good deed.

So, they offered a free cup of coffee for all customers in hopes that a happy occurrence that day would continue to spread. Perhaps it will even inspire others to step up and help people in need.

Not Surprising

The news spread really fast in the small town of Medford. Naturally, everyone was very excited and touched by this story. However, not everyone was surprised. After all, Ruth Reed was a lady known for her random acts of generosity.

She tries to do something good every day, simply because she enjoys the feeling of satisfaction afterward. She never exposed herself or sought recognition. For this reason alone, her closest friends and her loving family were not surprised when the news went viral.

It was just another good deed, but this time it involved a celebrity star.

A Way of Life

One of the reasons why people weren’t completely surprised by this act is because of Reed’s previous work as a middle school teacher. She dedicated her life to help, guide, and teach new generations.

But she never kept this lifestyle hidden in the classroom. She let it out into the world and she showed kindness whenever possible. After all, teachers dedicate their lives to inspiring young children and it comes as no surprise that they’d want to show kindness in all aspects of their life.

After retirement, it became a way of satisfying the need to help other people.

Inspiring a Song

The story became such a hit that it started to inspire people to do better and make the world a nicer place. It reached beyond the people working at Wawa and living in Medford.

Besides kindness, it caused a massive outpour in creativity. It inspired Carly Tefft, an aspiring country singer and songwriter, to write a song about the event.

Tefft also happens to be a close friend of Keith Urbans and she felt so uplifted that she decided to honor the act by writing a song.

Honored by MasterCard

Ruth Reed had no problem helping others and spending her own money in the process. She never asked for anything in return.

Her kindness was repaid tenfold. As it turns out, MasterCard decided to honor Reed upon hearing the story. They approached her on Twitter and told her that they sent a year’s supply of prepaid cards that she can use at any time to help people in need.

It almost became a movement as they wrote, “Your next 52 acts of kindness are on us” using the hashtag "#StartSomethingPriceless."

We are All Humans

The story that started in the small town of Medford eventually grew bigger than anyone could've ever imagined. It's not only an important reminder that we're all humans, regardless of our status, but that kindness can be incorporated in everyday life.

It costs us little to nothing at all to make someone’s day.

Additionally, these acts can inspire other people to do good. It's a domino effect that can make the world a more positive place. Many people started these random acts of kindness after hearing Reed’s story, including one person that paid for a whole dinner for an elderly woman in a restaurant.

Being Part of Something Bigger

No one could believe what would come out of a routine grocery shopping, especially Ruth Reed. She's a humble and modest person and she got really excited about the story going viral.

For her, it wasn’t about getting the appreciation or recognition. She felt like a teacher again as she inspired others to do random acts of kindness that could make someone’s days.

Being a part of something so huge was the biggest reward she could possibly ask for, which is part of the reason she started doing acts of kindness to begin with.

Dedicated to Kindness

After everything that happened, most people wonder what’s the next step for Ruth Reed? What could ever top this achievement? But for her, it’s not about the praise or outdoing herself. It's about the opportunity to do good and feel satisfied inside.

She doesn’t need to go viral as this is something she simply enjoys doing. For her, the future looks much like it did before she met Keith Urban—she'll continue doing acts of kindness for others.

Reed’s dedication to this lifestyle is truly an inspiration in itself.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: 2018; goodsamaritan; june2022; keithurban; oldnews; reallyoldnews; shockingdiscovery; tldr; toolongdidntread; trueidentity
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To: Cowgirl of Justice

Yes, children are used that way in certain parts of India, also Vietnam and Phillipines.

Sad.


61 posted on 01/07/2023 10:15:16 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Hostage

And what is the real lesson here? It is to always carry cash.


62 posted on 01/07/2023 10:18:44 AM PST by joma89 (Buy weapons and ammo, folks, and have the will to use them.)
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This post reads like a 100 word paper stretched into a 500 word assignment.


63 posted on 01/07/2023 10:28:33 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (I'm a nationalist. I'm white. How does that make me racist?)
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To: Made In The USA
"he's a great guitarist. Think Brad Paisley but maybe better."

There was a discussion about guitarist on FR just the other day..

If you want to hear some great work check out Roy Clark on you tube....amazing.

12th. street rag.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT2PTetKMU8

64 posted on 01/07/2023 10:28:46 AM PST by unread ("It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required." W. Churchill.)
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To: unread

Glad I scanned replies, you beat me soundly.


65 posted on 01/07/2023 10:30:18 AM PST by doorgunner69 (Let's go Brandon)
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To: algore

My brother played golf at Pebble Beach. One of the foursome introduced himself as an inn owner from Carmel.

Clint Eastwood, but my bro did know who that was.


66 posted on 01/07/2023 10:33:12 AM PST by doorgunner69 (Let's go Brandon)
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Comment #67 Removed by Moderator

To: Made In The USA
Try this one..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xssnp7R51A

68 posted on 01/07/2023 10:35:24 AM PST by unread ("It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required." W. Churchill.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
"Wow, never use one word when 1,000 will do."

Haha. Quite right. The sites that post these types of articles make money the longer a person stays on their page and the farther down a person scrolls. So they just hire some service to write thousands of words of gobblety-gook to keep you on their site.

69 posted on 01/07/2023 10:39:19 AM PST by thefactor
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To: ping jockey

Tommy Emmanuel is great. I was listening to The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World just yesterday.


70 posted on 01/07/2023 10:39:43 AM PST by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: thefactor

I guess they wouldn’t pay me much to write “Woman runs into Keith Urban at WaWa.”

My wife routinely does kind things like this for people. A couple days ago, she paid for the breakfast for an elderly couple at our favorite cafe. A week before that, she paid for the breakfast of a young group of men out fixing utility lines. She often pays for the coffee for the folks in the car behind us at the drive-up coffee kiosk. Yet not once has anybody written an article about her!


71 posted on 01/07/2023 10:43:50 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (If you're not part of the solution, you're just scumming up the bottom of the beaker)
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To: joma89; All

You have a point. But likely without realizing it, you opened a door to the coming Hell.

When CBDC (cyber $; China Model Mark of the Beast) arrives, we need something physical or electronically exclusive to fall back on.

I don’t like gold for purchasing bread, gas, etc. Weight, security, change etc. Need something else.

There’s XRP which some retailers are in love with if they can get it, because their card transaction fees decrease ~99%. Grocer near me said his customer card fees (~3%) was running total about $15k per month. He said XRP would cut it to $300 per month.

He said he was thinking to invest in it and I should look at doing same.

First thought I had was there is no way central bankers (JP Morgan Chase, Wells, Citi, B of A, US Bank, etc.) are going to let some upstart disrupt their good thing.

Sure enough, when I researched XRP, SEC had it in for them. Tying them up in lawfare.

Steve Bannon, former Trump Senior Advisor and now host of wildly popular War Room (https://warroom.org), was a former Wall St Investment Banker out of Harvard Business. He said dollar, which I call Fed Dollar (Federal Reserve Note) posing as US Dollar, is going to die.

Problem with other currencies is they are crap but they, like jackals circling a blind Biden puma accompanied by Marxist panthers who do nothing, are constantly trying to nip at $ weakness.

Dollar is tallest midget.

But BRICS and their evolution are dancing with Saudis to form a currency that destroys Fed $.

Trump saw and sees all of this, and its solution, so he had Judy Shelton brought into Federal Reserve to fix it.

CIA are enforcers for central banks. They want to Kennedy Trump. They’ve tried many times already, but that’s another story.

In sum, central bankers don’t like anyone messing with their club.

Tune in to Pro Basketball Player Royce White:
GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/roycewhite
TRUTH: https://truthsocial.com/@roycewhite

Royce has an extraordinary IQ for what is happening in this arena.

Keep an eye on it because it’s the root of all the Hell (capital H) that is coming.


72 posted on 01/07/2023 11:08:41 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Hostage

I wouldn’t know him if I ran into him but I’ve heard of him just haven’t listened to his music


73 posted on 01/07/2023 11:22:30 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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Comment #74 Removed by Moderator

Comment #75 Removed by Moderator

Comment #76 Removed by Moderator

Comment #77 Removed by Moderator

To: SaveFerris; unread; All

The thread’s not really about him. But those here who say they never heard of him, probably have heard him but don’t know it

He’s a megastar from 2000s in COUNTRY MUSIC and is Aussie by birth and upbringing. He’s a biggie Down Under too.

I first heard him in 2005-6 when his “You’ll think if me” hit #1 and stayed there like forever. Song won him a Grammy.

Here it’s #5 on the list of his top 14 favorites.

https://www.wideopencountry.com/keith-urban-songs-his-best-ranked

Song is 100% country; break-up, heartbreak, dog died, mama cried, truck broke down, etc.

When this Aussie boy sings, he sounds like he grew up on the knee of a Nashville grandaddy. Listening to his country twang, you wouldn’t know he’s from Mel Gibson land.


78 posted on 01/07/2023 11:43:27 AM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Hostage

(Mel Gibson land.)

A lot of us, including me, once thought he is from Australia.

In fact, he’s just a transplanted New Yorker.


79 posted on 01/07/2023 11:47:41 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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Born

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
January 3, 1956 (age 67)
Peekskill, New York, U.S.

Citizenship

United StatesIreland[1][2]


80 posted on 01/07/2023 11:49:45 AM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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