Ruth Redd was a teacher from Medford, New Jersey who had retired. She thought of herself as just a regular person who wanted to live a peaceful life alongside her husband. They loved each other and had many of the same interests.
A Teacher Helps A Man In Need Only To Discover Hes A Secret Millionaire
In particular, they both enjoyed performing small bits of kindness throughout the day and helping strangers who needed it. One such instance was set to change their entire lives forever totally and completely.
Going To Get Groceries
Ruth followed a set, but not strict routine. Most days were much the same. She’d wake up, get dressed, and go out to shop at the local convenience store.
Going To Get Groceries
The brand of the store was called Wawa, which is pretty famous on the US east coast. In fact, you can find them in most major cities along the eastern seaboard. May shoppers go to visit these stores every single day. They’re a very popular brand.
Reunited
This store in particular was something of a meeting spot for the neighborhood locals. As Ruth and her husband ented the store, they were met with the usual faces picking up their weekly items.
Reunited
Everything was pretty normal at first. The thing is, on that morning, Ruth had no idea that she was about to meet a world-famous star. It was an event that the small quiet town would never ever forget for a moment.
A Person Needs Help
After she had gathered everything she needed, Ruth went to checkout. She was chatting with an acquaintance when she realized there was trouble at the front of the queue. Being the person she was, Ruth decided she should help out.
A Person Needs Help
A man Ruth had never recognized before was having trouble with his bank card. A line was forming behind him quickly. The other customers were becoming quite impatient about the wait. It was a problem.
Lending A Hand
As you might know, this can be quite a stress-inducing, and embarrassing state to find yourself in. Rather than complain, Ruth decided that she would lend the man a hand.
Lending A Hand
The man was about to abandon the exercise altogether and leave, but Ruth stopped him. She simply couldn’t let him walk away empty-handed like that. She would help. She wanted to be able to ensure he got what he needed. It was important to her.
Making A Commitment
This wasn’t a split decision for Ruth. Many years ago, Ruth and her husband had agreed that they would always help people wherever they could.
Making A Commitment
They would always be there to lend a hand if they were able. The two of them did well to stick to it too. Later in an interview, the couple said that they also pledged to treat military members to free food whenever they could. They wanted to help all.
No Doubt About It
While the man who was floundering to pay his groceries probably wasn’t in the military, Ruth had the drive to be charitable to all. She later explained that it appeared that his card wasn’t being accepted by the machine.
No Doubt About It
He apparently asked someone for five dollars, and Ruth decided that was her moment. She rushed along and offered to pay for his groceries in full. Ruth was used to performing such acts of kindness daily.
A Striking Resemblance
The customer was extremely grateful for the gesture, and he thanked Ruth repeatedly. That’s when the two of them got to talking. It was at that point that Ruth realized that something was amiss.
A Striking Resemblance
He said his name was Keith, and while she had never met him, he looked quite familiar. She dismissed the thought and figured she was just confusing him for someone else. It couldn’t possibly be who she suspected it might be.
Is That Him?
The more the two of them spoke, the more Ruth came to believe that she did in fact know him from somewhere. He had a distinct accent, and she couldn’t say where he was from. She joked that he seemed familiar to her, and then the mystery was put to rest.
Is That Him
The man chuckled and revealed that he was Keith Urban the country music star. She wondered what a high-flying celebrity was doing in town.
Revealing The Truth
While Keith appeared quite sincere, Ruth wasn’t sure that he was actually the singer. For one thing, why would he be here so early in the morning?
Revealing The Truth
On top of that, why wasn’t he able to pay for his groceries? Ruth needed to find out more, and even asked him questions about his wife. If he was lying, this would reveal the truth of the matter. Ruth pried into many different details to be sure.
Confirmed
Ruth was willing to believe that this guy wasn’t Keith Urban after all, but he could answer every question without fail. Ruth felt a bit flustered.
Confirmed
Had she really given a millionaire money for his groceries? When she finally accepted the truth, it was only then that she noticed his bodyguards. Ruth said that she was star-struck, but that Keith Urban was very gracious about the whole entire incident. He was a very humble man.
Embarrassment
When Ruth was absolutely sure that Keith was who he said he was, a bunch of embarrassment washed over her. She had been scrutinizing him for minutes and doubting his story. Her cheeks flushed and she was bright red.
Embarrassment
She was worried that she might have offended him, but he just laughed it off. Ruth couldn’t believe she had bought groceries. It was quite a remarkable event to be sure. She simply couldn’t believe it.
A Country Music Icon
If you aren’t familiar with Keith Urban, here’s a summary for you, which will explain just why Ruth was so shocked. Keith Urban is one of the most popular country music stars on the world stage today.
A Country Music Icon
Not only does he have multiple hit singles and albums, but he’s also married to Nicole Kidman, who is an oscar award-winning actress. They split their time quite equally between the USA, Australia, and sometimes even New Zealand.
A Massive Amount Of Wealth
All of his fame aside, Keith Urban is also extraordinarily wealthy and has a fortune worth over $75 million. As you can well guess, Ruth Reed was super surprised that she had paid for his whole grocery order.
A Massive Amount Of Wealth
No one could argue that Urban and Kidman don’t have a bunch of money, and don’t need help in that regard. So that begs the question, why did Urban need assistance in that grocery store that morning?
Sometimes Small Errors Strike
The issue wasn’t intentional on anyone’s part. Keith Urban certainly didn’t have any cash flow problems. In reality, it was just a minor processing error, a small technical glitch in the system.
Sometimes Small Errors Strike
This small error gave Ruth a once-in-a-lifetime story. Urban later explained that he only had a $10 note in his wallet, and was surprised that groceries cost more than that. When he tried to use his credit card instead, the system was down.
A Man Who Is Down To Earth
Many celebrities would have been too proud to ask for assistance, concerned about how it would make them look. This wasn’t Keith Urban’s style at all, so he asked for help, and Ruth was there to assist him.
A Man Who Is Down To Earth
What’s a lot more intriguing is that Ruth Reed was simply amazed that someone like Keith Urban would shop in a grocery store at all. This made him all the more down-to-earth than anyone could have imagined.
A Very Special Lady
This story goes to show that for all his money and fame, Keith Urban is just a person like anyone else. The same cannot be said for Ruth, however. This former teacher managed to show the world a very different side of things.
A Very Special Lady
Ruth showed that you don’t need millions to help those around you. While this is the tale that made Ruth famous, she had helped many before and after. She was truly dedicated.
A Personal Mission
So now you may be wondering if Keith Urban paid Ruth back. Well, he certainly tried, but would it really surprise you to learn that Ruth didn’t want a cent of it back?
A Personal Mission
Despite his wealth, Ruth helped him because he was in need, not as a repayable loan. She didn’t want any special prize. Knowing that she helped another, even if it was a millionaire, was all that mattered to her in the end.
Paying It Forward
When they parted, Keith asked Ruth if he could help her in any way. It was at that moment she had a thought. She didn’t want anything personally, but Keith would still be able to help her.
Paying It Forward
She simply wanted to have a picture taken with him. You can see how happy she is. She’s positively starstruck. This picture would always be a reminder of that fateful day. It was a great sentimental item indeed.
A Wonderful Person
Ruth was by no means one to brag, but she couldn’t stop telling people about the day they met. She was blown away by how nice he was and told everyone she could.
A Wonderful Person
While she wasn’t into social media, she decided to post about it. Her post went viral, and it was shared over and over. Keith’s fans weren’t surprised, but he took the opportunity to say that she was the nicest lady in Medford.
The Attention Of The World
The love of the world didn’t end in the comments section. Her act of kindness won national attention from the mainstream media, and a bunch of channels wanted to have interviews with her.
The Attention Of The World
CBS was a channel she appeared on, and she was interviewed on the Kyle and Jackie O Show, which is a show in Australia. Ruth Reed isn’t simply a role model for all, but she has forever become a symbol of kindness