My wife and I are watching Good Morning America today (Happy Thanksgiving!) and they highlighted a story out of Ohio.
It’s the story of a man named Hal . Hal was a man who did anonymous acts of kindness all over his home town in Ohio. He’d mow a neighbors lawn when he saw them go to work. He even painted an elderly neighbors house when he went away for the weekend. Knowing the old man wanted it done, but couldn’t do it himself.
Hal died in the first Gulf War, and a man at the university he attened has started this secret society of people who anonymously do acts of kindess. These include things like:
Paying for the movie ticket for the three people behind you…
Paying the toll for the three cars behind you…
Tipping a waitress 50 bucks and saying…you waited on a guy last week named Hal, who forgot to tip you…
The deeds must be planned and they must be anonymous. And they do not have to cost anything. In fact I may go till my neighbors garden - he’s an old man and I know he can’t afford it, and is not able to do it this year - Maybe when he goes to church on sunday:)
The story of Hal at the website is very heart warming and endearing…if you are not feeling well, or are generally under the weather…this story and acts, will lift your spirits…
p.s. I down loaded the cards to see who I will get with a good deed first. The cards go to the person you pull the good deed on…
I think this is an amazingly cool idea. I’m not sure I have enough nerve to do some of the stuff (very shy person here), but the anonymous do-gooding really appeals to me.
I love to do nice things for people ‘just because’.
However, at the risk of sounding like a kill joy, I personally wouldn’t do some of that stuff unless I asked first. Leaving an extra tip, paying for a movie, etc… that’s all cool. But, painting someone’s house or mowing their lawn with out asking is asking for trouble, regardless of your good intentions.
Doing that sort of stuff is great if you ask them first. The lack of it not being a surprise doesn’t negate the good deed.
In grad school I was walking home from a party. A fellow was coming the other way. He held out his hand as if to shake mine. I obliged. “A gift from John,” he said as he placed a plastic bag in my hand. I got home to discover that he had said “a gift from Jah,” because in my hand was a baggie containing a sizeable and skunky bud.
Spontaneous kindness is a great thing, but I agree that if you’re going to go on someone else’s property you better get their permission first. If they come home early from church and find you there, they might think you’re trying to vandalize their yard or something. You could get shot or arrested for that.
Be careful!
Last week the college guys ahead of me in the grocery store line didn’t have enough cash to buy the massive amounts of party liquor they’d put in their cart. I gave them my bottle return receipts because man, you could tell they were going to have a fabulous party for the OSU-UM game. Who couldn’t help supporting that?
Actually, before finding out their money woes, I teased one of them about their haul and he said “Funny thing is, I don’t even drink. Neither of us do. They send us to buy alcohol for the house because we’re the only ones who can refrain from going crazy on purchasing.” I was utterly charmed.
But really, I’ll look for nice things to do that don’t involve alcohol.
I’m actually the recipient of this sort of thing. My next door neighbor brings in my trash can almost every week. It’s not anonymous any more, but it took me a long time to figure out who was doing it. He gets home before I do. He also mows the neighbor on his other side’s lawn for her. He kind of takes care of us single women in the neighborhood. He’s just a quiet little guy who hardly ever talks to any one, but he’s very nice.
My neighbors (who just moved out today) always would blow the leaves off my driveway when they were doing theirs. It wasn’t a huge think, but a quietly nice gesture.
I tend to do things like putting more money in expied meters, that sort of thing.
StG
I’m all for anonymous good deeds. Actually, good deeds of any kind.
It doesn’t always take much; a kind word, a smile, letting the little old lady behind you in line cut in front of you. Sometimes the simplest things have the greatest effect.
I agree it might not be a good idea to mow someone’s lawn or paint thier house unless you know that person and know he/she won’t take offense to it.
My anonynous good deeds are being members of Oxfam and Green Peace. The beneficiaries won’t have a clue as to who I am. 