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Random Acts of Kindness
- Thread starter angie_nrs
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Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:
Our kind of random act of kindness was to clean up a neighbours yard that someone she hired didn't finish. So far we have cut up quite a lot of fallen trees, poisoned some tree stumps, hand leveled her driveway (mad person who can't work a dingo attack) and taken two loads of branches we picked up around her yard to the tip in our trailer. Still more to do and we are doing it as a favour because we saw she was in need and didn't have the money to pay anyone else to fix the mess for her.
DH told her it is what we do and it isn't much and she said "if that isn't much what you have done for me I would hate to see when you are being generous"
. She keeps wanting to pay for us doing it but we said no we are happy with the firewood and that is payment enough for us.
DH also does volunteer work as the treasurer of the RSL club and does all their books and banking for them and I clean the club. We also do most of the food preparations for any functions they have there.
DH told her it is what we do and it isn't much and she said "if that isn't much what you have done for me I would hate to see when you are being generous"
. She keeps wanting to pay for us doing it but we said no we are happy with the firewood and that is payment enough for us.DH also does volunteer work as the treasurer of the RSL club and does all their books and banking for them and I clean the club. We also do most of the food preparations for any functions they have there.
Sewingc, you act like my eldest nephew acts; he does acts of charity and kindness because he can, and wants to.
I tend to ration my kindness, because I suspect the supply is limited.
I tend to ration my kindness, because I suspect the supply is limited.
Hah. I'm pretty sure some folks take me for a fool, even before I speak. I can certainly be fooled. Bought a red dot sight online before Christmas; ain't seen it, or any communication. Suspect that it was one of those unintended acts of kindness - to the "seller's" wallet.
A quick follow-up: the lobster bisque soup was a big hit. I did good. 
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A young man I know (19 maybe) invited a few friends out to do several things one evening (think 6 hours), but didn't tell one other friend. In the meantime, he had the family members of this one friend set things up so that the one friend would have plans with a family member, setting to leave the house at a specific time. That way, he could stop by right before the specific time, unannounced and quite by surprise, with the other friends and take the one friend (my daughter) with them. That made a huge hit. Very random and so kind.
If you paid via credit card, you can have your credit card reverse the charge. Just let them know it's a scam.
This is an awesome thread.
@VThillman yes we do service for others because we can and we see a need and it is part of both our religion and we both like to do it. With owning our own property we do get less opportunities to do so but we try to help some people when we can. Reverse the credit card transaction on the site through your bank or if you paid via PayPal you can also do it through there to get your money back.
@lonewolf we are careful not to be taken advantage of and gauge the situation on a case by case basis and also according to our time.
@lonewolf we are careful not to be taken advantage of and gauge the situation on a case by case basis and also according to our time.
This one is for the wife and not me. As I posted elsewhere we hosted some families on New Years Eve whose husbands/fathers are deployed in the military. It came up how one of them had to learn how to run a snow blower but its hard to get out to remove snow with a baby and a toddler. So my wife who is now on the church board of directors convinced our grace team and our ground crew to add these women to the list of houses they do snow removal for (a list which is mostly elderly people). So starting on 01/01 they will find their driveways and sidewalks cleaned off. We then committed to $100/mo for the remainder of winter to offset the cost to the church.
there isn't much chance of doing good deeds these days, people are very mobile now and move around a lot, it is very difficult to get to know people, also people are very wary.
Very true @lonewolf and we are very right to be wary of others indeed and air on the side of caution. When we do RAK's we make it very clear that what we will do and that is it. Being in a small country town with the rumour mill you know who and who not to get involved with fairly quickly. We are also people watchers and you can notice a lot by observing the way people act too.
exactly, I live on the very edge of a small rural market town and we know who to watch and who are okay, I have "people watched" for the last 40 years.
When I am out and about, I do not watch people surreptitiously. When people look back at me, I meet their eyes, and usually nod. It's interesting how many folks immediately look away, without returning the nod. I'm guessing it's a city thing (since I don't really look particularly weird).
The UK sounds like the large coastal cities here. People here in the Midwest still make eye contact, wave at anyone who waves at them, hold doors open for people, and even stops to let people into the roadway if traffic is heavy. Just the other day we got a 911 call about an elderly women who fell in a parking lot. By the time we got there about two dozen people had stopped to help her. She hadn't been moved, but she was wrapped in a couple blankets, someone was sitting on the ground holding her head, and they had cleared out enough cars to leave plenty of space for an ambulance.
Evidence that The Kindness Of Strangers is not a dead-and-buried phenomenon.
Thanks for passing that on, Sentry.
We had kinda a spendy weekend, but I s'poze we all have those once in a while. This one is actually hubby's doing. We went for an overnight stay. We scheduled a day of skiing at a large mountain a few hours away so went the night before so we could be on the mt. early. When we arrived at the hotel, the desk-man said we had just missed the eventfulness. Evidently one of the little suburb towns was without power so lots of people checking in who didn't have reservations etc. It was 19° when we pulled in about 4:30-5pm. Many folks only have electric heat. The weather had knocked trees down all over. There was a little bar and grill right next to the hotel so we walked over for a drink and something to eat. While there, an elderly man came in and took the stool next to us (we just sat at the bar- they were pretty busy.) The man ordered a cup of coffee and a meal. He had evidently told the barmaid that he had to stay in the hotel since his power was out. Hubby went to the restroom and came back. The man finished his meal and was on his way. I hear the gal tell him his meal had been taken care of. He looked surprised and thanked her. After he left, hubby said he told her to put his meal on our tab. There was one other older gent. there for the same reason. He had his meal and a few drinks. Hubby asked if we should get his tab too. We decided to let him pay for his drinks, but we took care of his meal. We also heard him surprisingly thank the barmaid. When we left, we left the little folder with the ticket inside - leaving a "very nice" tip. We will probably never see any of those people again. Hubby's so cool.
#2 son took me to an Army museum (I enjoy stuff like that). On the second floor of the museum was a real nice restaurant. Soon after were seated and had ordered our meal a long line of Army soldiers started to line up outside of the restaurant. We asked our waitress what was going on? She said the museum had a large conference room and the Army regularly used the conference room for teaching purposes. We asked her if the Soldiers got their meals free, expecting a yes answer especially at the prices on the menus. No they pay, she said.
A civilian at the restaurant anonymous picked up the tab for two of the solider's tables.
A civilian at the restaurant anonymous picked up the tab for two of the solider's tables.
I was blessed this weekend. I was in a large grocery store picking up a few odds and ends. I was in an aisle with one other customer, a young gal, 20 or 30 something. She asked what I was looking for. I was looking for handwipes for my daughter. When I told her she gave me a package. She said " Here. I got the last three." I thanked her and even offered to pay for all of hers. She declined and it was truly a random act of kindness. My daughter and Grandson will greatly appreciate it.
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I went to the local grocery store today and gave a nice tip to the bag boy. I thanked him for working. He was a young dude and probably was wondering what the heck I was talking about. LOL! If it weren't for folks like him that work in the stores, folks like me wouldn't be able to keep life at a normal level day in and day out. In times like these I appreciate all food workers, grocery stockers/cashiers/workers, truckers, loggers, medical personnel, gas station attendents, electricians, plumbers, mail carriers, welders, factory workers, etc. Maybe these times of turbulence are there for a good reason.
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They also speak to people when they meet. Many people other places won't even respond when you pass someone and greet them. Hmph! Can't speak to strangers!
I was walking with my #1 Daughter on a downtown big city sidewalk. Daughter told me I was acting aggressive by making eye contact with passing pedestrians.
Your daughter was confused. Making eye contact is a two-way thing.
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This is real. They think that not acknowledging others is how we should all live. To heck with that!
This IS real. Because when I walk down city sidewalks I do make eye contact as an intentional sign of aggression.
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My sunday school class alway helps out member when there is a death in the family. We had a new member comment that not all SSC do these things.
We were surprised, we thoght were one did this kind of thing.
We were surprised, we thoght were one did this kind of thing.
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Around here you'd get me looking right back at ya, with a smile and a nod.
Around here you'd get me looking right back at ya, with a smile and a nod.
And that's how I know who is a potential friendly and who is a potential target.
