Practice random acts of kindness

There’s a new scheme in my area called ‘timebanking’ where you do voluntary work and then can exchange your hours for help in other areas. E.g. one hour gardening for someone then request an hour cleaning. You can donate your hours to others instead.

I have very little time to bank but I’m going to sign up as I’m sure I can offer something. The only thing I would like to ask for in return is to attend the sewing machine classes!

I suppose the acts aren’t exactly random but I’m struggling to find opportunities for this goal! I’m always letting cars go and giving away things on Freecycle but I’d like to do more. I’ll try and phone them tomorrow.

Obviously I can’t actually give them away until I die but hopefully when I do there’ll be something left in good enough condition to do someone else a turn!

Have registered online and told my family too in case my donor card isn’t on me at the time.

Not sure whether I truly count this as RAK but I had quite a long conversation with an elderly lady in the doctors surgery on Tuesday. I’m usually quite embarrassed when strangers try to talk to me like that and I generally try to avoid small talk.

The lady made a comment about Stinky Pinkleton and told me she had twins. She said they were 54 so she must have been in her 70s. She showed me a photograph over 50 years old she carried in her wallet. We chatted for a bit about children and she told me about her grandchildren.

I think she just wanted to talk for a bit. I’m glad I didn’t just look away.

...didn’t have enough money at our local shop. She was 70p short so I offered to pay it. The shopkeeper wouldn’t let me – he told her not to worry about it until next time she passed by. The kindness was done but I didn’t get to do it.

I will keep my eye open for more opportunities.

I can think of lots of other examples but the kindness has been done to my friends or family so not sure it really counts as ‘random’!

...I hope.

It is a small thing but I alays try to let pedestrians cross the street and let people out of awkward junctions. I’m sure it all adds to road karma!

...from being cold.

Does that count?

Twas not my job to let them in but I felt sorry for them so I opened the door – I’m a sucker for chilly people!

With an 87 year old man in the supermarket. I’d normally just be polite but avoid eye contact and move on. Instead I asked questions and enjoyed conversation. I think he did too. He told me he thought too many old people were moody but hre would never be that way.

Lovely man and talking to him made me smile – I think he did me the kindness!

The guy I aquired the tv for actually had one given to him by someone else and so I ended up driving round with a tv in my car that I didn’t know what to do with. I couldn’t think of anyone else who needed one but it seemed like such a waste to throw it away.

Though my work I know a particular block of flats that has a bad reputation as being in an extremely deprived part of town. I took my risks and reversed up to the entrance. I ran in and left the tv by the lift.

Hopefully this will do someone a good turn and not be seen as dumping rubbish or giving someone something to sell for drugs.

The right intention was there!

Bearing in mind my actual remit consists of making an accommodation referral when someone is homeless – here is what I actually did:

• Collected guy from B&B and took him to doctors
• Took guy to view flat
• Helped him get deposit and fill in all paperwork
• Droppped him with his sister until his keys were ready
• Got him a chair, blinds and a tv from freecycle
• Collected items and dropped them off…

... even though I was on annual leave and not suppossed to be doing anything work related!

I need to be clearer about this goal. Does the random act of kindness have to be to a stranger unaware you are the provider?

I helped an old guy who fell off his bike – does that count? Or not because he knew I helped?