The kindness of strangers

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  • sbernardy
    sbernardy Posts: 188
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    This summer I was at the local fair with the kids.. All the older kids I bought wrist bands for... but didn't want to waste the 20$ on my two year old in case she didn't like the rides.. so I bought about 4 rides worth (Which included me too.. since I figured I would have to ride with her)... Long story short she doesn't like the merry-go-round and she was done with rides... so I looked around for another mom who just bought tickets too and gave them to her :)
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    This why I love this site. I know there is some snark, but mostly there are people trying to give good advice and share positive thoughts.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Make a compliment to a random person.

    I do this all the time. If I see someone with a great haircut or a nice blouse, I make sure I tell them.
  • jadesign19
    jadesign19 Posts: 512 Member
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    I'll never forget the time I got a flat tire in the parking lot of a Walmart. I discovered it after I was done shopping and the store was closed. With no one to call (no cell phone in those days) and it being freezing (I remember it being the coldest day ever); I got all the groceries out of the trunk and did what any desperate woman would do.... Get the jack and spare out. I never changed a tire in my life but desperation and freezing to death is not my style. I got out the manual and started to work.... A very big man came up to me. I got scared because I'm alone in a parking lot. He asked if he could help. I hesitated and he said "I have a daughter your age and if you were her I'd want someone to help her.". Needless to say I started to cry and he finished putting on the spare. He wouldn't take any money just my thanks. I'll remember that man for the rest of my life.
  • Barbellsandthimbles
    Barbellsandthimbles Posts: 205 Member
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    I had just finished a really long day at school (I was a teacher and One Act Play Coach) and was ready to go home. I was walking to the parking lot when I was stopped by one of the football coaches who said "You have the black Explorer? You got a flat tire" and he kept walking. Well, I know how to chang a flat (Dad taught me, just in case) but I was tired and cranky and didn't want to have to mess with it (the parking lot was dusty gravel, not pavement) being that it was 90+ degrees. I got to my car and started getting the stuff out to change my tire when one of my students comes up to me and takes the tire iron from me. He changed my tire. This was a student that I didn't always see eye-to-eye with and who most of the other teachers had written off as a "lost cause" because he rarely exerted himself and was withdrawn most of the time. He spoke 5 words to me that day: "I'll do it" and then "No problem" when I told him thank you. You never know where the RAOK will come from! The coach everyone drooled over and thought was the best thing since sliced bread wouldn't help, but the boy who everyone treated with disdain didn't bat an eye to help.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
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    i'm bumping this.
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
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    My first job was as a cashier at Walmart. One busy Sunday a woman and her daughter came through my line and bought strawberry sugar-free candy. It rang up for 5 cents. I said I'd definitely be buying a couple bags for my grandmother because she was diabetic and loved candy. The woman said that would be nice of me, paid and went on her way. A few minutes later she came back with a couple bags of candy in a shopping bag and a receipt. She had gone back and gotten two more bags, waited in line again at a different register and gave me the candy. I know it was just a few cents but it meant a lot that someone would go through the trouble of going through Walmart on a crowded way and waiting in a long line just to do something nice. She also taught her daughter about doing nice things for strangers.
    I like to give kids pennies when I get change. It makes them smile and keeps the pennies out of my purse. I also won't hesitate to compliment someone's hair/shoes/shirt. They smile, I smile, everyone wins.
  • dirty_blonde
    dirty_blonde Posts: 71 Member
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    I recently offered my photography services to a couple who said they couldn't afford a nice wedding. They are a local couple to my community and I they had been through some health issues with two of their children in the past year. Had accumulated a lot of medical debt. When I heard they were getting married with no professional photographer I thought it would be nice to offer my services for free.
    I'm a certified professional photographer, I also hold a degree in photography and have won many awards. My services do not come cheap. I basically gave this couple a several thousand dollar gift. One would think they would be incredibly appreciative. But instead I was treated like ****, spoken to rudely and humiliated in front of the whole bridal party. I'll never offer my wedding photography services to anyone for free ever again but I will continue to help animal shelters.

    This is the second time I have tried to use my services to help others that normally could not afford such a luxury. The first time was with a family portrait. Those people were ungrateful in the end also.

    Reading everyone else's comments here help me to realize that not everyone is a *kitten* and there are appreciative people. I just don't seem to find them.
  • katierechgomez
    katierechgomez Posts: 77
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    This thread is so awesome! I love reading these storeis!!! It just makes me smile to read all these:) Y'all are so wonderful and I believe, too, that RAOK are so important. I love the one about paying for someone else's food in the drive-thru. That is so sweet:) And wow, that guy whoe helped the couple with their car and even let them use his car...that is extraordinary!!! I am going to strive to do more and mroe RAOK :)
  • weemer78
    weemer78 Posts: 4 Member
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    Hope you don't mind I got something to add

    I love how karma works I have helped loads of times. I used to go shopping for a old lady near where I lived after seeing her struggle with Her bags one day. After that I used to go once a week and she always got change even if she didn't have enough money to start with. :) too many people in this world don't care.
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    small, but still a RAOK.

    I randomly saw an ex-boyfriend yesterday at my work place. I haven't seen him in months, and we don't exactly talk anymore. There isn't any animosity, we've just both moved on.

    I texted him last night just to say "Hey. Just thought I'd let you know that you looked really nice today. smile :)"
  • StrengthIDidntKnow
    StrengthIDidntKnow Posts: 568 Member
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    Thought of 3 more last night...

    Years ago, I was in South Carolina When we stopped for gas, the wrong button was hit and the trunk got popped instead of the gas tank (without us realizing). As we pulled out of the station, the trunk opened and slammed shut, we didn't think anything of it and kept going, but my bag with my planner and some other things I brought to keep me busy on the plane fell out. We didn't realize it was missing until later. Anyway a couple of weeks later, it was mailed to my house in NJ. The people behind us got out, and sent it to me. I wrote them a letter, meaning to put some money in it to thank them but to this day I can't remember if I sent it and I still feel horrible.

    Once I was in the middle lane of a major highway and noticed the guy behind me was really close, so I moved to the right. He followed me in to the right lane and then back again in to the center lane. I got back in to the right lane again and I could see in my rear view mirror that he was laughing at me. I was scared and I had my then 3 year old with me. At this point, a big truck had gotten in front of me and another pulled up next to me, and there was a 3rd behind the other guy. The truck next to me gave me just enough room to get ahead of him and then they boxed the guy in long enough for me to get ahead and off at the exit.

    Finally, twice I have been helped with flat tires. The first time I was on my way to upstate NY, at some random gas station and I couldn't get the bolts off the tire. A truck pulled over, changed it quickly and refused any money, saying as someone else before me said, "I have a daughter, I would hope someone would do the same for her". The second time was on the NJ turnpike. Again, I was having trouble with the bolts, and someone pulled over to help. He couldn't get them off either but didn't want me waiting by myself so he waited with me for the tow truck to come.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
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    I recently offered my photography services to a couple who said they couldn't afford a nice wedding. They are a local couple to my community and I they had been through some health issues with two of their children in the past year. Had accumulated a lot of medical debt. When I heard they were getting married with no professional photographer I thought it would be nice to offer my services for free.
    I'm a certified professional photographer, I also hold a degree in photography and have won many awards. My services do not come cheap. I basically gave this couple a several thousand dollar gift. One would think they would be incredibly appreciative. But instead I was treated like ****, spoken to rudely and humiliated in front of the whole bridal party. I'll never offer my wedding photography services to anyone for free ever again but I will continue to help animal shelters.

    This is the second time I have tried to use my services to help others that normally could not afford such a luxury. The first time was with a family portrait. Those people were ungrateful in the end also.

    Reading everyone else's comments here help me to realize that not everyone is a *kitten* and there are appreciative people. I just don't seem to find them.

    I am sorry you were treated so shabbily after trying to do something so kind.
  • UncleMac
    UncleMac Posts: 13,123 Member
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    Awesome thread!

    When I graduated from college in the 'big city', my mom and grandmother fly in to attend the grad ceremony. My grandmother had never been on an airplane before so it was quite the adventure. Upon arrival, they headed for the luggage area. Mom jumped onto the escalator down to where we were waiting. My grandmother 'froze' at the top; she had never been on an escalator. A stranger, seeing the situation, took her elbow and guided her on and stayed with her all the way down and off at the bottom.

    Fast forward 20 years and I'm at a different airport and find a very similar situation... someone's grandmother & grandfather at the top of an escalator ahead of the luggage claim so I got to be the guide/help. Not often you get to pay it forward with such similar circumstance!

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