Today I surprised myself. At the grocery store buying a few things. Get into a typical line with about one or two large baskets in front of me. An old man looking a bit worse for ware with just a bottle of water in hand gets behind me. I offer to let him go before me but he refuses. As my turn arises to check out (about a 15 minute wait) I grab the bottle of water from the guys hand, hand it to the checkout lady and say “Ring this up with my order so this man can get out without waiting any longer.” She does, and I hand it to the old guy and say “Merry Christmas” as I let him pass by me. He looks astonished and with great sincerity says thank you and returns my holiday greeting. I’m being selfish, all he got was a free bottle of water and saved few minutes, but I got a great feeling of satisfaction with just a minor thing. Who knew?
Wishes that I could hide my username for this…but a couple of weeks ago…I was standing in line at a convenience store and a girl (maybe 25) in front of me gave the clerk $4.00 in change for gas. I looked out and saw that she was putting the gas in her beat up car instead of a gas can.
I told the clerk that she wouldn’t get very far on that, handed him my card and told him to fill her tank.
I’m big into paying things forward. I remember the help I got when I was homeless and hopeless. Now that I can do such things for people, I do. I think that people remember these acts of kindness and that it makes the world a better place.
Why do you want credit, even anonymous credit for these things? Granted, both of these acts were very cool things to do, but it seems to me to post about them diminishes their value. Sorry, but that’s the way I feel.
So you have joined the War on Christmas on the side of Christmas? TRAITOR!
It could inspire others to do something nice.
We all have our moments when we do something nice and moments when we do something horrible. We hear enough in the world about the bad things people do to each other, so I think it’s nice to talk about the good side of human behavior too.
Do something nice for the sake of doing something nice, not for any sort of recognition. Be glad in the fact that you’ve done something nice, that should be reward enough.
You should really check out the 21st Century.
So you have to be given full credit and value for every decent thing you do? If so, I am very glad I don’t live in your century.
For all intents and purposes, posting on this message board is anonymous, Mr. Grinch. I appreciate these stories and hope others share theirs as well.
I must assume you think me the grinch. Fair enough, but I think were I to start a thread entitled “Cool, altruistic things I’ve have done” (and I probably could to anyone’s standard) I think it likely it would be met with derision. If the Dope has a new standard please inform me in this thread.
If anyone has missed my point I will clarify, I think what the OP did was a genuine act of decency, but I question whether asking for recognition devalues that act or not. If you don’t think so, so be it.
It does not. Glad I could clear that up for you.
Flatlined putting gas in someone else’s car and bot3 paying for a man’s bottle of water are physical actions that resulted in someone they are unconnected to feeling better about themselves and also produced an objective measurable lift on that person’s finances. Your posts casting doubt on their actions only serves to make them feel bad about themselves. How is that helpful?
I actually and truly helped a little old lady to cross the street one day.
In my mind I just devalued the thing I did not expecting any sort of recognition. Guess I’m different. Won’t say any more in this thread.
I gave blood today, and wrangled my son to go donate with me.
Sorry, but I can’t leave this alone.
How am I making them feel bad about themselves other than asking what their real motivations might have been? I’ve said that what they did was an act of decency. What I’m asking (and have said as much) is do they really need confirmation of such? My experience (and perhaps I’m special in having met many good people) is that most people who do everyday acts of kindness do not need pats upon the head telling them that they are good humans.
To the bot3 and flatlined please do not let my words deter you from helping others however you see fit, but please also do not do these goods deeds so that you may appear more generous to others.
Mister Owl, demonstrate for us one single truly altruistic act that does not in any way impart a reward upon the doer. You’ll find none. Sharing an act of charity or kindness in no way reduces the impact on the person or people who were helped. In fact sharing the kind act often inspires others to generosity.
Thanks, guys, for sharing the warm fuzzies with us and inspiring others to lend a hand now and then. I’ll be giving my kind hearted best friend a gift bag for Christmas full of things to give away anonymously. So far I’ve collected ten small folding umbrellas upon which I’ll attach a tag which has “FREE” printed on one side and some sort of quote about kindness or paying it forward. Ten assorted dog and cat collars to leave at the animal shelter. Ten packages of handi-wipes to leave on bus shelter benches where homeless are known to congregate. Any other ideas?
NO you don’t. You get back here. What gives you the right to just dump and run? You’ve made me cry. I’ve held it in for almost a month now but you finally did it. I’m crying. I won’t even mention the thing that I did because I don’t want to be criticized. I don’t want to be praised, either. That’s not the point. The point that you’ve missed entirely.
I don’t want to post about good things I’ve done for people to get recognition. I’m bad with compliments. I want to post because other people were brave enough to post their stories and I want to support them. Do you have any idea what it’s like for some of us in this modern world? To have been raised to do the right thing, to want to do nice things for people? I feel it all the time but I find myself backing away from the urge to do good for fear of being mocked by my peers. Any time I do something less than callous in sight of people my own age I end up being the butt of their jokes. The disconnect between doing the right thing and being told that it’s wrong has lead to some really screwed up feelings on the matter. I sure as hell can’t discuss those feelings with anyone I know. Even my own family can’t resist making fun of me or even getting angry with me.
About a year ago I found a $100 bill on the floor in the sub place next door to a shop where I work sometimes. I picked it up and handed it to the cashier. She said if nobody claimed it within a month it was mine. The sub guy told the shop owner what I had done. Every time I went to the shop for the next month somebody had something ugly to say. “You’re a damned fool. I would’ve put that Bennie in my pocket and gone right out the door.” “If you’re really that stupid you don’t deserve the money anyway.” I was laughed at and called an idiot and a dumbass for not taking something that didn’t belong to me. It didn’t help that I really needed the money. I felt like walking out into traffic.
It sucks that feel I bad or guilty when I do good. I hate that I feel shame for not stealing or for helping someone out. I NEED threads like this. I need to see that I’m not a freak and that there are other people who don’t always want something for every little thing they do. It gets harder to believe by the day. It gets harder for me to act on kind impulses every day. I’m tired of being afraid that someone’s going to talk shit to me about not being a bigger jerk. I’m glad this thread is here. Maybe I can find others who understand.
By the way, nobody else claimed that $100. I got to keep it with a clear conscience.
Thanks to Sodalite, just thought of another addition to my “giving bag”. Ten one dollar coins to distribute in parking lots and sidewalks. Not enough to cause anyone to turn in as “lost”, but exactly 100 times better than finding a lucky penny.
Sodalite,I’m proud of you. Hope you enjoyed your reward 
Indeed, you have violated the entire universe by this despicable act!
But, I forgive you
I’m so very kind, no?
Yes, don’t.
This is not a place to derail a topic to start a debate. Feel free to start a new topic if you want to talk about it.
Let’s end the hijack and get back on track, everyone.