Random acts of awkwardness

A regular routine for me on a Saturday is to settle down at a table at a coffee shop, prepare a few guest posts for publication on The Next Web (if you'd like to do that instead, we're looking for a full-time features editor – drop me a line for details) and work through my email. Having done the former part of that work plan today I went to the counter at Caffe Nero in Sale, Cheshire and bought some lunch. To my shock, a woman with a French accent said "I can pay for you." She proceeded to use all the money she had to pay for my food and then walked off.As a Brit, I was typically awkward about this. A stranger paying for my food and wanting nothing in return? "It's a charity thing, they do it every year. Everyone's always really awkward about it," the barista serving me explained.The 'You are loved' card this woman left explained that this is a group of local people who perform 'random acts of kindness'. They give away hundreds of pounds to strangers on set days in Sale town centre and I just happened to stumble upon one of their events today. You can read more at LoveSale.org.It's a confusing, and incredibly thought-provoking initiative and it seems that they really do want nothing in return. Thank you, French-accented woman. My falafel, granola bar and mocha were all very tasty.