Practice random acts of kindness

If you’ve read my entries, you will know that I always scan the horizon for an act of kindness to do.

Today, I had one done for me. My truck tire was very low. I pulled into a Walmart and checked it out. Darn, a nail!

I went into walmart and came out with a can of fix-a-flat. This would get me by for another week or so, when I could afford to do something about it.

While I am trying to get this to work, a man walks up and wants to know if I needed help. I declined. Hey, I’m a macho type and can handle things.

This gentleman keeps insisting he can fix it for good. No charge. He promised. I finally agreed. Next thing I know he has my truck jacked up with his jack, he took off the wheel, pulled out a nail remover and then plugged the hole just like I would have to pay a tire place to do. He then pulls out an elecric air pump and fills up the tire and also checks the pressure in all my other tires as well!

While he is doing this he is talking to me. He has been in prison, is a born again Christian and was layed off his job months ago. I tried to give him money for his efforts but he refused me several times. He said make a donation to my house of worship. I will.

What a great guy! I guess good things do come back around.

It has been awhile since I wrote an entry here. It is not as though I don’t do regular acts of kindness. They happen daily, like pick up a dropped paper for someone that did not even know they lost it, or to tell someone their lights were left on.

To me, this is basic humanity. This is something we should all be doing for each other on a daily basis. I try to write about things that took some effort.

Coming out of Walmart tonight, a woman carrying way to much had a small problem. One of her bags was ripped and about to pour her grocery’s on the ground. Before I could get to her, it happened. Fortunately nothing was broken.

I was carrying bags back into Walmart to recycle and start my shopping, so I had extra bags. I helped her pick her items up and use some of my bags to do so. She was very thankful.

Nice evening.

I got to do an awesome thing while in NYC last week. I have been hording a $100 bill in my wallet, for an emergency. I went to the bank and got 20 $5 bills. Each time I would find a down and out homeless person, I gave them a $5 bill.

I concentrated on those individuals that weren’t actively begging for money, but just going about their day. I received exactly 20 smiles + 20 thank you’s!

My family there always treats us to very, very nice meals at awesome restaurants. You can’t possibly eat it all. All doggie bags were taken to the homeless to eat. More thank you’s.

It is not hard to be nice to people and to do the right thing. Why don’t we do it more?

I was at the airport today, dropping off my wife to go see her parents in Manhattan. There was a soldier there struggling to carry all his gear. He had 9 duffle bags. Nobody around to help him and it was snowing like crazy.

I had been carrying all of my wife luggage, being the gentleman that I am. Her bag is on wheels and her carry on very light. I asked if she would carry them, she knew what I was going to do.

I asked the soldier if I could help and I struggle, but managed to carry 4 of his very heavy duffle bags. He was very, very thankful.

I made me feel wonderful to help one of our soldiers out, even in the small way that I did.

I had a blast with an act of kindness today. I went to a local fundraiser for the Red Cross. It was an all you can eat chili cookoff contest at a local hospital. $2 got you all the chili you could eat, a bottle of water, frozen custard.

I had just finished paying when I heard two young women behind me talking. The one that was supposed to pay had opened her wallet to find no money. She had forgotten to get money before coming. Apparently they were nurses and had a short lunch break. I felt bad for them. No food for lunch.

They kind of slowly walked away. I quickly pulled out 5 dollars and gave it to the lady taking money and told her to keep it anonymous and tell them that someone had paid their way in. She ran to catch them and tell them. I stayed nearby to see them smiling from ear to ear. It was fun watching them scan the room for who could have been the one to have paid for them.

This really filled my heart with joy. The best 5 bucks I’ve spent in a long time.

My daughter reads all of my entries and I can tell you that it has had an impact on her. Here is what she did on Thanksgiving…

We took a family picture in the greenbelt (park) behind our house. Walking back she found a cell phone on the ground. She looked at the contact list she found an entry of “Mom”. She called it and got the owners address of the phone. She took it to them and they were very grateful. I raised a great woman.

While going through the check out at Target today a very nice lady was checking out in front of us and she was chatting with the clerk.

After she left I noticed a very expensive pair of Ray Bans on the counter. I asked the clerk if he recognized them and he just shrugged.

I took a wild guess and ran after the lady in the parking lot while my wife checked out. I caught her just in the nick of time as she was already pulling out of her parking spot.

She was deeply appreciative of this act of kindness. Made me feel good for having done this.

Wonderful opportunity seized today. I went to a local grocery store known for their great deli. I found a yummy salad to buy.

On the way out a very old woman was trying to get her groceries from the cart to the trunk of her car, while her even older spouse was sitting in the passenger seat.

What ever happened to someone taking groceries to the car… especially older people?!

I went to the nice lady and asked if I could help and she declined, nervous that I was going to rob them I believe. Not being one to be deterred I went to the passenger side and asked the older gentleman if he would mind if I helped his wife load the groceries into the trunk. He assured his wife that it would be alright.

I loaded the trunk quickly and received the best hug for my efforts!

Man… I feel wonderful for having done this!

This morning I went to one of my favorite breakfast restaurants. I am recovering from surgery on my knee and I am about 10 days post-op.

I was a gentleman and held the door for a group of very sweet old ladies streaming out of the establishment that I was going into. I think there were eight of them. They weren’t paying much attention to me, they were chatting and laughing. They seemed very nice.

As the last lady came out she noticed that the nice man holding the door for them was on crutches and had a brace on his leg. She shouted out for them all to come back and thank me. They all shook my hand and said that chivalry wasn’t dead after all.

That was a great experience and made my day. Very little effort was needed on my part and I always hold doors open for people. My southern upbringing I guess. I will hold this experience with me for some time.

I had the tides turned on me today. I tore my ACL cutting tree limbs last week and had to leave a large amount of limbs just laying in my yard.

I always help my neighbors whenever I can. They repaid me today. There was a knock at the door and I hobbled my way to answer it. The neighbor across the street and the neighbor next door teamed up and cut all the limbs into small pieces so that the trash people would pick them up in the morning. They came by to tell me what they did.

It is such a wonderful feeling when someone does something like that for you. It inspires me to help others whenever I can. What a great country!