I don’t remember how or when I came across this term. As a child, for a short while, I lived not far from New Orleans, which is where this word is used generously. But that was for a short while in second grade, and if I learned it there, it receded into my memory for several decades. I have lately grown to appreciate it and have been trying to practice it myself.
For those of you who may not be a coonass (don’t get upset- that is a very respectable term down in the bayou), lagniappe is a Cajun-French word for “something extra.” Usually, a little gift given at the end of a business transaction. You may buy a dozen beignets at the Café du Monde and the generous baker throws in a packet of coffee without asking or mentioning it. Or you purchase a necklace for your partner and the jeweler gives you a small key chain. Sometimes you ask for a lagniappe, hoping to get something more, but beware! If you do this greedily expecting something, you’ll probably not get anything but some unknown (to you) Cajun cuss words. But if you are light-hearted in asking, most likely you’ll receive.
Like most people these days, I buy lots of things online. Anything that’s standard and I don’t really need to make sure everything is okay- ink for my printer, toiletries, books, sometimes clothes and shoes. Amazon, Better World Books, Etsy all know me by name. Two companies that I love to buy from are Field Notes (they make small, pocket-sized notebooks based on the ones that were used by farmers and agricultural agents in the mid-1900s) and Penzeys (a spice retailer based out of Minneapolis). Invariably they practice the art of lagniappe. There is always something extra in the package when it arrives. Field Notes may include a pencil or old-fashioned tinted postcard or a small number of “general purpose bands of rubber”. Penzeys will throw in a packet or two of sample-sized spices along with your order. I know when the box arrives from either one of those there is something extra waiting for me.
In the same vein, the French fry guy (and so far, it has been a guy, but I bet a gal would do this too) at Five Guys burgers always throws in an extra cup of fries into the bag. Always. I know if I order a small, I will get a medium, a medium will bring me a large, and a large gets enough for me and my hunny-bunny to munch on through a movie at home.
In all of these, I feel like I am special. I am getting more than what I paid for, more than what I asked for, and more than what I deserve.
So I have been trying to figure out how I might practice that myself. I am a preacher. Technically, I am a retired preacher, but I still serve a couple of small, wonderful congregations. I’m not sure how to give them more than what they are expecting. “Here’s my sermon for today, and as an added gift, here’s some coffee to keep you awake. The Ambien rating today is pretty high.” I live in a nice neighborhood, with friendly people on each side of me. And my community is a good place to live. How can I give back a little more? How can I practice lagniappe?
I’ve been thinking about my life, too. Looking back over the years, I see that God, or the universe, or whatever this life force is has given me so much more than I could have ever deserved. Radio host and author Dave Ramsey popularized a phrase that many of us use. How are you doing? “Better than I deserve.” I have been the recipient of divine lagniappe.
And I am going to do my best to figure out a way to give that something extra to everyone else.
PS- If you click on the links to Field Notes or Penzeys, it will take you to their sites. If you buy anything from them, I do not get anything from them. Other than the hidden knowledge I passed on a couple of good things.
Michael Henderson 