I don't mean on the internet. Not long ago, I walked out of a Rite Aid store, and as I was getting into my truck, I saw a guy who obviously had some disabilities - couldn't walk quite right, and had some spasticity in his arms and hands - walking to his car with his items and a little cup of ice cream that they sell there. As he tried to open his trunk, he was turning the cup of ice cream. I dashed over and said, hey man, you're going to spill that, and I put it on top of his car for him while he loaded his trunk. When he finally realized that he wasn't being robbed, he said thanks and went on his way.
I was at a McDonalds, and a homeless guy with a dog asked me for money. I told him no, but I was going to get a $1 McDouble and he could have one too if he wanted it. He did. So when I went in and ordered my food, the (female) manager asked me if the guy had accosted me, and if so, she was going to call the police. I told her not to worry about it, I would tell him to leave. So I gave the guy his McDouble (about half of which he gave to the dog), and said, hey, the manager wants you to go. He seemed hurt by that, but I told him, look, there's other restaurants here and other folks you can ask for money. Off he went.
One day when I was at church, I went out to use the rest room, and I saw a guy passed out on the lawn. So I walked over and sat down beside him, and asked him if he was OK and so on. Well, he was obviously pretty drunk. So I got him a donut and some iced tea, and said look if you stay here, the cops are going to spot you and take you downtown. It would be better to sleep at home or at least some place less public. I think I did him a favor. The sexton (caretaker) wanted to call the cops.
I was at a shopping center recently and a guy was trying to start his van. He obviously had a bad starter, but he was a Vietnam vet and probably in his 70's, so I offered to get under the van and bang on the starter while he tried to start it. Didn't work, but at least we tried.
I'm not blowing my own horn here, I enjoyed doing all these things, and various strangers have done me favors from time to time. In fact, once many years ago when my wife and I ran out of gas, and walked quite a ways to a gas station, the station attendant let us use his motorcycle to take the can of gas back to the car! That was awesome.
I heard a guy from Switzerland interviewed once who is a bank president here, and he said that this idea of people doing nice things for strangers seems uniquely American to him. In Switzerland, he said, you don't see that.
I remember my Dad stopping more than once to help someone change a tire. My Mom once stopped at a farm where a barn was on fire and asked if there was any way she could help. The people there couldn't figure out how to drive a truck that was parked close to the barn, so my Mom, the only one there who could drive a manual, went and moved it for them.
Sometimes it's as simple as when I saw a woman trying to knock down a wasp's nest with a shovel. I just said, hey don't do that. And believe me, I said it from a distance. I think I saved her from some unnecessary pain.
Do you have stories of doing things for people, or strangers doing things for you just out of the blue?
I was at a McDonalds, and a homeless guy with a dog asked me for money. I told him no, but I was going to get a $1 McDouble and he could have one too if he wanted it. He did. So when I went in and ordered my food, the (female) manager asked me if the guy had accosted me, and if so, she was going to call the police. I told her not to worry about it, I would tell him to leave. So I gave the guy his McDouble (about half of which he gave to the dog), and said, hey, the manager wants you to go. He seemed hurt by that, but I told him, look, there's other restaurants here and other folks you can ask for money. Off he went.
One day when I was at church, I went out to use the rest room, and I saw a guy passed out on the lawn. So I walked over and sat down beside him, and asked him if he was OK and so on. Well, he was obviously pretty drunk. So I got him a donut and some iced tea, and said look if you stay here, the cops are going to spot you and take you downtown. It would be better to sleep at home or at least some place less public. I think I did him a favor. The sexton (caretaker) wanted to call the cops.
I was at a shopping center recently and a guy was trying to start his van. He obviously had a bad starter, but he was a Vietnam vet and probably in his 70's, so I offered to get under the van and bang on the starter while he tried to start it. Didn't work, but at least we tried.
I'm not blowing my own horn here, I enjoyed doing all these things, and various strangers have done me favors from time to time. In fact, once many years ago when my wife and I ran out of gas, and walked quite a ways to a gas station, the station attendant let us use his motorcycle to take the can of gas back to the car! That was awesome.
I heard a guy from Switzerland interviewed once who is a bank president here, and he said that this idea of people doing nice things for strangers seems uniquely American to him. In Switzerland, he said, you don't see that.
I remember my Dad stopping more than once to help someone change a tire. My Mom once stopped at a farm where a barn was on fire and asked if there was any way she could help. The people there couldn't figure out how to drive a truck that was parked close to the barn, so my Mom, the only one there who could drive a manual, went and moved it for them.
Sometimes it's as simple as when I saw a woman trying to knock down a wasp's nest with a shovel. I just said, hey don't do that. And believe me, I said it from a distance. I think I saved her from some unnecessary pain.
Do you have stories of doing things for people, or strangers doing things for you just out of the blue?