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When is the last time you.....

YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
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did a good deed for a random stranger?

Recently I went to a movie screening only to find I was a week early :wall:
That got me feeling like a complete idiot and like I can't seem to get things right lately. Since I didn't have my kids or husband with me, I decided to go to some stores and two separate people paid me compliments out of the blue. One said I looked six years younger than my age and couldn't believe I had two kids! Well that put the wind back in my sails for sure.

So that got me thinking, when is the last time I did a good deed that might have totally made someone's day? Probably paying for someone's order in the drive thru.

I want to know, what is the last good deed/gesture/compliment you gave a total stranger?
 
Q

Queenie60

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Not much for total strangers other than giving up a seat or something obvious such as that. I've done a lot of financial things for close friends and/or a friend of a friend. Just because I can. ......and I am a generous person.
 

purplesparklies

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My family loves to do random acts of kindness. We anonymously pay for dinner for others, especially if we see on duty police officers. I also regularly leave extra funds for a "coffee kitty" at our local small coffee shop. I indulge in a chai latte a couple times a week and pay for my ~ $5 chai with a $20. I am often told that my sons are especially helpful to teachers and staff at school. My oldest actually received an award this year for his willingness to go above and beyond and lend a helping hand. Nothing makes me more proud than to know they are truly kind and helpful. We volunteer regularly and I always tell them to notice the world around them and to always take the opportunity to help make someone's day better. Spread the love!


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monarch64

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Great thread topic!

I unintentionally did someone a solid today. I took some extra time on the phone with a client when I really did not have time to listen to him in the middle of doing 82 other things. I wanted to cut him off several times, but something in me--intuition?--made me stop and just let him go on. As I was closing out my day and it was finally quiet, he called back. I sort of inwardly grimaced as I took the call, but all he wanted to say this time was "thank you for being so kind and listening to me earlier. I know you are busy, but it meant the world to me and I just wanted to tell you that." So, my unintentional random act that made someone else feel good yielded me another good turn when he called back to give me that much-needed positive feedback. It was a good day. :))
 

missy

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Does giving up your seat on these subway count? Just the other day on my way to work I gave up my seat to an elderly person and then coming back home that same day I gave my seat to a pregnant woman. I usually don't even bother sitting but I was tired that day and am glad I was sitting so I could give my seat to these people because goodness knows rarely do any of the able bodied young men who are sitting ever get up and offer their seat to someone who needs it. :knockout:

I don't think of that as a good deed however as it is just behaving like a decent person to do that. What some of you wrote about above are what I consider good deeds though and good for you. Purplesparklies how wonderful you are raising your children with such kindness and generosity and hopefully it will spread to their whole generation. :appl:
 

YadaYadaYada

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Queenie and Missy- Giving up your seat is most certaintly a kind and thoughtful gesture and might put the person you have the seat up for in the state of mind to pay it forward. At the very least it could possibly inspire them to go forward with kindness. It seems kindness and thoughtfulness is a dying habit but there are still good people in the world like you guys.

Purplesparklies- LOVE that name! It's so great that you are raising your kids to be such considerate and productive members of society. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you are obviously doing a great job and maybe when they talk about volunteering at school they might inspire other kids who haven't been exposed to that to jump in too!

Monarch- Truly awesome how that worked out, I remember the days of being on the phone when I was working and how grueling it can be but you made someone's day and in turn got some good energy flowing in your direction :appl:
 

Tacori E-ring

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I am in a profession in which all I do is give. Most times it is rewarding but often just exhausting. Sometimes I feel like I have nothing else to give to strangers. However, I will open doors for people and go out of my way to be friendly to cashiers/servers/etc. I will let someone go in front of me in line if they only have a couple things and I have a cart full. I hurry to leave my parking space if I see someone is waiting. I let people into traffic when driving. Nothing over the top but I try to be a decent person.
 

missy

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Tacori E-ring|1470451924|4062969 said:
I am in a profession in which all I do is give. Most times it is rewarding but often just exhausting. Sometimes I feel like I have nothing else to give to strangers. However, I will open doors for people and go out of my way to be friendly to cashiers/servers/etc. I will let someone go in front of me in line if they only have a couple things and I have a cart full. I hurry to leave my parking space if I see someone is waiting. I let people into traffic when driving. Nothing over the top but I try to be a decent person.


:appl: All of these things add up Tacori make a big difference in the quality of life for everyone IMO. If more people behaved decently and were kind to each other I think our lives would be nicer and softer and happier.
 

ksinger

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Trying to think...hmmm...

My kindness is mostly phone related - or at least that's what comes immediately to mind right now. If someone calls and leaves a message that is clearly for someone else, I tend to call back and inform the person that they reached a wrong number. I did this one day with a guy who was working a business deal. I left him a message to let him know his message had not made it to the intended recipient. Then a bit later he called ME back and left another message thanking me for taking the time to let him know - I think it may have been an important issue he was working. ;-)

The other is more frequent. My cell number is one digit off from one of the numbers at the Oklahoma Dept of Human Services. I get several bewildered calls a week, and I am always extremely gentle with them, telling them it's no problem and they just fat-fingered a digit, the proper number to dial, and have a nice day. I figure anyone calling OK DHS is already having a crap life, probably, I certainly don't want to add to that.
 

anne_h

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It wasn't the last time, but was kind of an exception so I remember it... One day, the school bus had just picked up our kids at the stop near our house, when a man with a young girl came up to me and asked about parking in our area. We have our own back driveway for parking, so I wasn't familiar with what was available around. So I started helping him read nearby signage, etc.

We couldn't seem to find available street parking, so I pointed him towards some businesses nearby that might have parking, but he seemed to be confused. He said he wasn't from the area and was here to take his daughter to the nearby childrens' hospital.

Seeing he was in an unfamiliar location and needing to get to his daughter's appointment, I offered him the use of our own parking area behind our home. My husband had already left for work with the car, so it would be free all day.

The stranger seemed happy with that. So then he parked, and we three walked part way to the hospital together (it was on the way I go to get to work).

Anne
 

Jambalaya

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Last night I did what I feel was a good deed, although I'm not sure if it really counts. I was at a bar with a friend and the young woman serving us was really awful, even though I was smily and polite. It was noisy and when I couldn't hear her the first time, she got annoyed. She never smiled but glared, and her interaction was minimal. She was the same with the couple next to us, and we all expressed surprise at how rude she was. I don't like this word, but the other couple's actual words were "What a b*tch."

However. She could have been depressed - actually, I thought she did seem a little so - she could have been suffering with an addiction, her loved one might have been just diagnosed with a terminal illness. You just never know. And these staff rely on tips for their livelihood. For this reason, I think very carefully before undertipping. I was so tempted to leave nothing or 10% - which she richly deserved - but I tipped approx 22% anyway. I felt it was the right thing to do.

I'll always give up my seat on a bus to someone who needs it, and I give to charity. But in terms of random good deeds for strangers, I can't really think of anything. I've had a lot of unwanted attention from strangers in the past so I tend to keep my head down and go about my business. I'm a polite driver, and a polite pedestrian. If I'm crossing the street and a car slows down or stops for me, I walk as quickly as possible across and thank them with a wave. I'm always friendly and polite to cashiers and waitstaff. I don't like it when a server does something - takes away the bread, or refills the water - and people at the table ignore it. I always say thank you.
 

Calliecake

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About 6 months ago my sweet furbaby ate a Popsicle stick on a Friday night. When we arrived at the vet there was a young woman (mid to late 20's) sitting in the awaiting room visibly upset. They took our dog in immediately and when we leaving she was still in the waiting room. Her 14 year old cat had lumps all over and had refused to eat. The cat had been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. She told me she worked very long hours, was a single mom to 2 children and money was very tight. She was worried because her cat was 14 years old and she didn't want her to suffer. I told her to think about it over night and to make a decison in the morning. I paid $400 to the vet for her. She could use this toward treatment of her cat or toward shots and neutering if she decided not to do the treatment and got a kitten (which she said she was going if her cat wasn't going to live. She said couldn't imagine her children not having a pet). It was heartbreaking to see her in so much pain. She said she thought of the cat as her oldest child. I have no idea what she decided to do.

I alway try to be kind to people. You never know what someone else is going thru in their life. Acts of kindness can make a difference to a person in pain.
 

missy

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I remember when that happened Callie. That was such a kind thing to do. I agree with what you wrote and always remember this saying:
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about” and that puts everything in clearer perspective and makes being kind easy.
 

YadaYadaYada

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This is so great, I know that some of you think that your smaller gestures may not count but they totally do. In the grand scheme of things it's all the little things that people do to help another that make the world better.

It's so true too that you just never know what someone is dealing with and it would be easier to not offer your seat or ignore the phone call or leave less of a tip. All of it matters and maybe someone reading the thread who doesn't have the money to help someone out but still wants to do something will get some new ideas.

Life can be so hard but it can be a little easier if people like us keep throwing positivity at it.
 

purplesparklies

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I saw this today and remembered this thread. There is so much sadness, frustration and just plain horror in the world. I feel strongly that those who are able to spread love and kindness have a responsibility to do so.


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