Random Acts Of Kindness In Odessa, Texas

Before moving to Odessa, Texas in early January 2025, I had several people try and tell me what to expect as if I had never lived in West Texas before. Many of these people were quick to stereotype Odessa and the Permian Basin in such a manner, I am unsure why I even entertained the conversation.

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I was born and raised in South Texas, to be more specific, San Antonio.  When I informed many of the people back home that I was moving to West, Texas, many of them tried to "warn" me that Odessa is much different than what I am accustomed to.  In a nutshell, these people were painting a picture that the people in West, Texas were scum that they were all blue-collar, mean, and nasty. Fast forward to have been living here for less than 2 months, and I have seen first-hand that those stereotypes cannot be further from the truth.

Long John Silvers Incident

A few weeks ago I wrote a story on Long John Silvers. It was the end of a long day and I was taking photos of my food for my article. That's when suddenly two men jumped up and ran outside the restaurant. Apparently, a senior citizen had fallen in the parking lot and they ran to his side to help him.  I am not sure if the man was injured but they helped the man get back on his feet and into his vehicle.  

Hungry DK Incident

This also happened at the end of a long day. I was standing in line at a DK when a woman, who looked like she was in her 50s, could not pay the $8.00 for her sandwich and drink.  Her card was declined multiple times and she began to walk out empty-handed.  The man behind her without hesitation told her to come back to the register because he was going to pay for her food.  She was hesitant but he insisted. He did not have to do this but did it anyway.

U.S. Veteran Down On His Luck Incident

Ironically on a different day at a different DK, I was walking in when I saw a man probably in his late 60s or early 70s flash an ID (likely issued by the V.A.) and asked a man for change. He also claimed to be a U.S. Veteran who was just trying to get money for food.  This was on the eve of extremely cold weather coming into the area.  The man said he did not have any change but to wait for him.  He then walked inside, bought some food and a drink and handed it to the man along with a twenty dollar bill.  I did not hear the entirety of the conversation but I did hear the man tell the older gentleman that cold weather was coming and that he needed to find a warm place for the night.

The Man With Bad Planning Incident

This one was not surprising.  A man bought a large television from Walmart.  The problem was that he owned a small 4-door sedan and was having trouble fitting the TV in his vehicle.  As he was trying to do this on his own, a younger man who looked around 17 years old randomly asked the man if he needed assistance.  They both made attempt but it was clear the TV was not going to fit.  The older man thanked the younger one for at least trying and they both went about their day. Okay, I admit, I was the older gentleman and in the attempt my hand was caught and it sliced some of my skin off.  I eventually got the TV home, but the fact that this younger gentleman randomly asked me if I needed help unprovoked was a nice gesture.

Conclusion

I have not lived here longer than 2 months and already I have witnessed first-hand how kind some of the people of this city are.  Yes, there will always be a few bad apples in the bunch.  However, I have seen nothing but compassion and good things from the people of Odessa, Texas thus far.  I wish somehow, the people back home who told me all those awful things could have seen it as well.