A Random Act Of Kindness

[Mackeyser]

It's been ages since I have done this but I used to buy stuffed animals and give them to kids at the mall.

Just as I was walking by I would hand it over and say "surprise!".

Today, that'd get you arrested...

 

[Mackeyser]

My wife and I will occasionally pay for the groceries of the people in front of us if they look like they're on a fixed income. You know, like, when they ask the cashier to unring some stuff because they don't have enough money for the whole bill. It's not as easy as it sounds though. People are pretty hesitant to let you pay because they think it's too generous.

you're right about that.

My son, who's braver than I'll ever be and seems to have remembered the best lessons I taught him though I barely remember teaching them, works at a grocery store.

Sometimes, someone will come in and realize they can't pay. If it's not more than he can afford, he'll just pay for it. Some pay him back, tho most don't and he doesn't expect it.

He's always been like that. He used to give his lunch away in elementary school to his classmates if anyone forgot their lunch and he'd go hungry "because they needed to eat".

Wife used to use her otherworldly powers of couponing to help people. I won't go into it since "the right hand shouldn't know what the left is doing", but we had a little and were able to hopefully help some people in a specific situation in a time of crisis.

I do remember this one time. I'm on the 5 FWY just north of the 110 interchange (if you know this, you know how crazy busy it is). It's at night and I see a car on the side of the road and NO ONE is stopping. I stopped and it turns out a man and his son had been stuck there for quite awhile as they couldn't get to the call box (wasn't safe to walk back and he'd have to walk across a super busy on-ramp with his son to get to the next one). I drove him to the nearest pay phone (this was in the mid-90s before cell phones were affordable. I had two pagers, one for work and one for home at the time) and then figured out how to get him back to his car. Even with a Thomas guide, it wasn't easy. He was able to call family and they were gonna meet him at his car to pick him up and maybe fix the car. His family pulled up only a little after we did.

Funny, I've been on both the giving and receiving ends of random acts of kindness. I don't ever think that any random act of kindness I do is amazing or even noteworthy, but I'm always blown away when I receive one and think of how amazing it all is.

 

[Mackeyser]

I feel you man. A couple times I have seen this and told the cashier to put the items back and add it to my receipt.

Sadly, I saw this happen right in front of me the other day and did nothing. I walked out behind her and was ashamed of myself for not stepping up.

I don’t see it all that often but I can assure you that next time, I will step up.

I feel the same way.

I don't feel awesome when I help someone. Just feels like the right thing to do.

But when I don't step up? Yeah, I end up feeling like a real POS for awhile and it only makes me not want to miss the next opportunity.

 

[snackdaddy]

A couple months ago I was filling my car up at a gas station. Not a bad area of town. This black kid, probably late teens asked me if I had any change because he was hungry. I don't carry much cash if any. I use my debit card for pretty much everything these days so I told him I didn't have anything for him. He just looked like someone who wasn't comfortable asking for money. Like he was embarrassed and he just said "Ok, thanks anyway".

Something about that kid tugged at my heart strings. There was a Taco Bell next door. When I finished pumping gas I drove over there and parked. I walked back to where the kid was sitting on a curb looking sad and told him "Come with me. I want buy your dinner". I took him into Taco Bell and told him to pick the biggest meal on the menu. He said he'll take a taco. He was still embarrassed. So I told the girl we wanted the biggest box meal they had and an extra taco. His face lit up and he said "Really?" I asked him his name and he said "Matt". That is also my son's name. I paid for his meal with my debit card, shook his hand and left.

I dunno. There was just something about that kid I felt he needed someone to show him some kindness. I'm an older white man who he probably thought was racist. I just told him "Maybe one day you'll be in a position to help someone. Just think about today".

I never saw him again. Maybe he's realized he can panhandle and get something. Or just maybe, he knows there are people out there who can do nice things and maybe he'll be one. I don't know. I just know it felt good.

 

[snackdaddy]

Sorry but I don't agree at all. The amount of money it takes to get a dollar of aid out of the gov't is insane. Direct, local donations go straight to the people needing the help. And if you look at the number of people giving to charities, there is a direct correlation of decline with the incline of gov't hand outs and "assistance". People now believe that they don't need to help because the gov't will take care of it. It's a real problem.

I'm all for the government giving aid to people during their time of need. We're a country with so much we should help people who need it to help them get on their feet. But when it becomes a way of life for so many, there's something wrong with that. There are some people who truly need it and some people who only want it so they can avoid responsibility.

 

[Prime Time]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...aaron-jones-commits-a-random-act-of-kindness/

Packers’ Aaron Jones commits a random act of kindness
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 30, 2018

MonicaAllen11 on Twitter

Packers running back Aaron Jones got some attention for averaging 5.5 yards a carry as a rookie last season, and now he’s getting attention for some good work off the field.

Jones was in the airport in Appleton this week when he saw a woman in a wheelchair struggling with her bag. He offered to push her to where she needed to go, and that good deed would have gone unnoticed except that a woman in the airport took a picture and posted it to Twitter.

The picture became a hit on social media, and Jones and his twin brother, Ravens linebacker Alvin Jones, both tweeted that the instinct to help someone in need comes from the way they were raised. Aaron and Alvin were raised by Alvin Jones Sr. and Vurgess Jones, both of whom are retired after long careers in the Army. Alvin Jones Sr. told the Packers’ website last year that he prided himself on raising sons with the right values.

“What I’ve told Aaron and Alvin, this is a reward for all the hard work that you guys have put in,” Alvin Sr. said. “What mom and I always try to do with them, even now, is make sure they understand why they’re successful. That, first and foremost, is the blessing from the man upstairs. Secondly, we try to keep them humble and working hard. No matter how much success you have, there’s always something you can improve so continue to work hard, stay humble and good things will always happen for you.”

Aaron’s act of kindness was not just a one-time thing: Several fans have posted on social media that they too have had positive encounters with him. He’s a player who is gaining new fans without having to step on the field.