Day 19 – Share a “Kind Stranger” Story …
People are strange … and kind!
We’ve all heard of stranger danger, but what about stranger kindness? We want to talk about that a bit in tomorrow’s Livestream and would love to hear some of your stories in the comments below so we can read them out during the stream.
When has a total stranger ever been unexpectedly kind to you?
Or maybe you have been that kind stranger to someone else?
The Christmas season is always a perfect time to reflect on the things we are grateful for and often it’s about the people we know and love the most. But every now and then wonderful things happen in the most unexpected places from the most unexpected people and we’d love to focus on all the mysterious but wonderful strangers tomorrow.
Do you have any stories to share? We are sure that there are plenty of wonderful stories out there in the collective MLT universe and we would be delighted to hear them.
See you in tomorrow’s Livestream!
Mona & Lisa
I have been blessed to have some amazing friends who always support my fundraising efforts, but during Covid, total strangers jumped in as well. One of our local hospitals put out a plea for used iPads so Covid patients had a way to communicate with loved ones, since hospitals were not allowing visitors and sadly, people were dying alone, not able to see their families one last time. I had an iPad that I kept so my dad could communicate with his cousin in Florida. He had lost most of his ability to speak, but his face always lit up when he would FaceTime with her. She was like a sister to him. He passed away a few months before the lockdown began, but I remembered the joy that it gave him, so needless to say, I arranged to deliver my iPad to the hospital. I was the first person to reach out and they posted it on their Facebook page. Within minutes, my friends and people I had never met before saw the post and asked how they could help. Some had iPads to donate, but the majority wanted to help purchase more, so I started accepting donations via Venmo, PayPal and Zelle. In one night, people had sent me over $2000 which was enough to purchase 6 refurbished iPads from Apple. Within a week, I was able to purchase a total of 16 which were split between two local hospitals. It was truly heartwarming to see the community rally like that!
I was given a very cheap car and was road testing it with my daughter Alena, and when it stalled out a stranger got out and helped us immediately. So fast that it now seems like I dreamed the incident.
This was another good theme for a Livestream. It’s been interesting hearing all the stories. If I can jump the gun a bit, one of the goals you mentioned when the Advent Calendar started was pulling the people in the Club together a bit. (I think it’s working).
I’ve been laughing about a few of these exercises, saying “wow, the homework in this Club is hard!!” Most of them are memory quizzes. Which is a good thing, really, I’ve been reminded of things I hadn’t thought of for years. Anyway, thanks a lot for doing this. One more chatty one left.
I had a situation recently when I helped an old guy get to his doctors appointment. I work as a courier delivering parcels and came across this old man walking along but clearly struggling. I enquired whether he was ok and he told me where he was heading and that the taxi he had booked hadnt turned up.
I was happy to give him a lift to the doctors surgery. Whilst he was there I went back delivering as I was now off schedule but gave him my number so that when he was finished at the surgery he could ring me to go and pick him up. I eventually got the call and got him home.
He wanted to give me some money but I politely declined, I just told him that if ever I was in the same situation as him I would like to think that somebody would help me without expecting a reward. I think it was the right thing to do to help this man and I didnt expect or want anything in return.
I
When I was little we use to live in a really small town in the middle of nowhere in central Washington State. One snowy day my dad, mom and I were driving along on a small highway and we hit black ice and the car spun around several times and then went off the road down a small hill and the car flipped on it’s side. I was about 5 or 6 I think. I remember standing up and below my feet was the window of the door with snow, and above was the other door window and I could see sky. My dad opened the door and I remember being pulled out of the car. Luckily no one was hurt, just a little shocked. This lady stopped and helped us, and gave us a ride all the way home. All I remember of her was that she was a school teacher, and it was a smaller two door car she drove us in. I was fascinated by the stick shift. Maybe it was a Mustang. Anyways I remember the kindness of a stranger on a lonely highway in the middle of nowhere helping us and taking us home.
Where I live, when people are waiting to get onto a busy road from a car park, people already on the road will let them in.
I’ve been approached by people looking upset. Maybe they’re out of gas and stranded without money. I’d give them some and tell them how they can repay me – by helping someone else in the future. They always say they will.
I really do feel that Christmas brings out the best in people. I experienced a true act of kindness about 12 years ago when I was still working as a long haul trucker. There were many years when I was out on the road over Christmas, a thousand miles away and not able to get home at all. It was December 23 that year and snowing hard as I was going east through Wyoming. I got as far as Rawlins where I was supposed to hook up with another driver and swap loads. This would allow me to turn around the next day and head back west towards Idaho, and with any luck, I would be home Christmas day.
Well, just as I pulled into the truck stop where the other driver was waiting I got word that the state police had closed the entire interstate due to the snow. It was just after dark, about 10 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind was strong. As I unhooked my trailer and started to drive across the parking lot to hook up the new trailer both rear axles on my tractor completely froze up, literally. The moisture from the snow that had melted from using my brakes earlier had now frozen all 4 rear wheels to the brake drums like glue.
There were no mechanics working at the truck stop and no way to call for help from somewhere else due to the road being closed. I was sitting there wondering what to do when I saw a young driver slowly climb out of his truck and walk over to me. I rolled down the window and he yelled out above the noise of the wind; “Looks like your wheels froze up,I used to be a mechanic, I’d be glad to help you out.” So, without asking for anything in return, he went back to his truck and got some tools and a propane torch, crawled under me and in about 30 minutes I was unstuck. I hooked up to the new trailer and told him to meet me inside cause I was gonna buy him diner. It turned out that he was trying to get home to South Dakota to be with his wife and kids for Christmas. He didn’t want to accept it but I insisted he take what cash I had to repay him for his kindness. The next day the state police opened the road up again and we both headed home for Christmas.
That’s a good story Stephen, I have a lot of respect for our truckers. This country couldn’t function without all the men and women hauling goods 365 days a year in all kinds of weather, thank you.
During the height of Covid before the vaccines were available, there were horror stories across senior care home facilities across Canada and the world. In those days visiting my dad meant getting screened at the front desk and we had to wear a mask, face shield, plastic gown, and gloves. I could hear my breathing and face shield kept fogging up. Walking to my dads room, there were security guards in the hallway to ensure everyone remained in their rooms. It was so eerie and scary in the hallways and elevators. I got to see my dad on a respirator at the time as he was sick with Covid, and stand at a distance for 15 minutes. Couldn’t touch him.
On may way out, as I was leaving in the parking lot, I saw a Care Aid riding up in his bike for a shift. Such a brave kind stranger. I felt like giving him a hug for standing guard taking care of our loved ones in this horrible condition, putting their lives at risk to do their duty. I found in me a new level or respect for all medical workers, they went above and beyond in their duty, while the rest of us could stay safe and isolated in our homes, they were on the front lines protecting our loved ones. These were the days when they had freezer trailers outside of hospitals to store bodies as the morgues were too full.
Yes Jung,
Those were horrible times, and hospital workers are still being pushed to their limits. But thank God for them, right? And a lot have left their field too! And we’re not out of the woods yet with health threats. I recently had covid for the 2nd time, & thankfully both cases were very mild. Luckily, I’m in pretty good shape.
I wish that the smartest & brightest minds from each country would be allowed to come up with some Global solutions to all our problems. That would be 1,000 times better than the division, misunderstandings & wars that we’ve had for too long!
Thank heaven for all the helpful & positive people in the World, who make a big difference every day for others. We’re not all so different after all!
Hi Bud
Yes our health system in Canada is very strained, and it sounds like the same down there in the US. Covid shined a light on all the shortcomings in our society from health care to every aspect of our governments and peoples tolerance. Hope we can all learn and become better for it.
My heart goes out to you, Jung, and all others who deal with COVID horrors. We’ve had our problems, too, but no severe symptoms, so I can only sympathize.
Thanks Jefferey
I think most of us were very fortunate, and the times around Covid, I felt so grateful for many things, as I could see others in more difficult places.
Hello Jung. Due to covid restrictions in the UK I was only able to visit my mother in her care home 3 times in one year instead of the usual once a fortnight (it was a 3 hour each way journey). My brother and his wife were the nominated visitors so could go more often but often just had to deliver things like absorbent underwear without being able to see her. The lack of contact hastened the onset of her dementia, the decline was marked. Even when we were able to visit she did not really recognise us as we had protection on.
Whilst that was awful it does not match you having to just observe your dad from a distance whilst he was on a respirator. i cannot, and do not want to, imagine how those who actually had to just watch their loved ones die and not be able to comfort them coped with it (I suspect that they didn’t). The staff in the care homes put their lives on the line each day to care for our loved ones. How must they have felt not being able to have the time to comfort properly those in their care on top of this.
Hi Philip
Your experience with not being able to visit your mother echoes mine. That year weeks and months went by and no one could visit the residents. It felt like I would never see my dad again, and he would pass away all alone. The local health authority had a website where they announce new Covid outbreaks at the different care homes in the city. Each day when I went to the website my heart would stop hoping to not see my Dad’s facility on the list. It went good for about 6 months until the inevitable happened, and when it did, with 2 weeks, half the residents on my dad’s floor died of Covid. Covid really shined a spotlight on the years of neglect our governments allowed in the senior care home infrastructure with Care Aids grossly underpaid for what they do. The senior care homes were at the lowest priority with health care funding. Oh the list goes on, and it raises my blood pressure when I start thinking about it.
Same here in the UK Jung. My mother was actually in a private care home but covid revealed just how healthcare cutbacks had effected the base level care. We’re due a general election within the year and the current government does not stand a chance of being re-elected. It will take years to rebuild healthcare and so many other things.
I, too, at times feared that I might not see my mother again. Strangely, the last time each of her 3 sons saw her she was more lucid than usual, almost as if it was a last hurrah on her part. It was heartwarming..I’m suddenly feeling emotional so need to stop. Sorry
Hi Philip
Thank you for sharing your story about your mom, it is so heartwarming for me. There is an amazing comfort and consolation when people like ourselves who went through a similar pain and loss can share our stories. We are sharing our love for our dear ones, and there is something great about that. I feel the same way with MLT whenever I watch/listen to The Wide, Wide Land, especially when they sang a short part of it in that video when they were in Austria this summer.
I agree with you all the way Jung, i allways say those care aids dont have a profession, its a calling! They are the best and i do have deep respect for them.
Hi Eric, yes absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. It is a calling. My mom’s personal Care Aid or companion we hired for 7 years to care for our mom in the care home, in the end became a nurse because of her experience looking after my mom. I was at her nursing graduation ceremony, and the first place she got hired was at the hospital where my mom’s care facility was a part of. The nurses at the hospital knew her well for the years they saw her by mom’s side, and also helping out the nurses with other residents near my mom, and when they learned she became a nurse, they couldn’t hire her fast enough.
Thank God for all the health care workers that looked after our loved ones during the pandemic. They put their own health on the line to be with our family members when we couldn’t be there. They weren’t compensated for their sacrifices either, most of the time just a thank you if they were lucky. You guys are right, it takes a very special person to do what they did and continue to do every day. I could not do it.
Hi Tim. Yes they are true angels indeed.
Amen Jung, I have quite a few friends and family members in the health care field and can honestly say they are just as kind and caring away from their jobs as they are on their jobs. It’s not what they do, it’s who they are.
Hi Tim. Yes people in the health care field are amazing, and it is indeed who they are. Their selfless dedication to their medical oath to help people, strangers is nothing short of moving and inspiring. During Covid, many of them truly shined and showed us who they are.
Wow, I thought it was bad in the UK, but security guards in the hallway! I had the same experience with my mother who was in a care home. I did manage to get the staff to help her use Skype to chat with me once a week, but you are right about having to get dressed up to enter the buildings, it was not great and you could not even touch your relative.
Hi Allan. I remember the skype chats too. It was comforting to at least be able to see my dad. Yeah walking in the hallways with security guards was eerie. Many residents have already died to covid at the time, so it felt like there was death everywhere. The suit I had to wear was so hot and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t imagine having to wear that for hours like the Card Aids had to.
I tried to have a Skype chat with my mother but her dementia meant that she had no idea what was going on. Being able to hear my voice but not see me (the screen was just meaningless) made it worse and added to her confusion. I ended the call pretty quickly as it was having the opposite effect to what I wanted and didn’t do me any good either. It was so sad.
I am so happy that you had a positive experience using it.
Sorry to hear you had that experience. It was fine for me but of course everyone is different and dementia is a terrible condition to cope with.
I’m sorry to hear the trouble it caused for you and your families, Jung and everyone else. I just had Covid in September for the first time. I was lucky it was a mild case.
My niece, who is my goddaugther, had just started her first job as a nurse practitioner when the pandemic started. She worked midnights in an intensive care unit which had triple the number of Covid patients that it was designed for. Her hospital ran out of N-95 masks early on. I sent her the box I had, which I’d bought some years earlier for doing carpentry work. After a long period of futility, weeks or a month or two, I don’t remember how long, but one day they announced at her hospital that someone from that ICU had been released from the hospital. The first person to make it out alive.
We were very worried about her, and she eventually caught Covid too, but she’s okay now, and still working at the same hospital. I can only imagine what she went through. I’ve told her more than once that she’s a hero.
Hi Chris
My niece, brothers only daughter, is a Nurse Practitioner too, and she was in the trenches when covid hit in LA. And she is still working there. It takes real courage to do what they do. They are heroes indeed. Thank you for sharing your story.
Hello Ladies,
Stranger story that still blows my mind.
3 years ago, a family that I barely knew said after a football game (American) that they had a little sonething for me. (It was 3 weeks before Christmas) they Gave me a 55 inch Flat Screen TV!!! For no other reason but because they wanted to. Completely floored to say the least.
Someone I worked with, but didn’t really know, I got them a Game Worn Jersey of their favorite team. He broke down and cried. This was 2 years ago and I did it because I wanted to.
Thanks Ladies for some awesome memories
Best
Rick Ross
Years ago, I took a summer course in Physical Anthropology from a local Community College, to earn 15 Science credits to transfer to the U. of Washington. The course involved a 3-week trip to Kenya, East Africa. It was a fantastic experience! There were only 4 of us, two White & 2 African American. The leader was Ben from Uganda, who I had taken a course from earlier in the year. Chuck & I were the White guys, & Virginia was a retired school principal.
We traveled all over the country seeing lots of animals & anthropology sites. We had a total of 5 flat tires on some very rough roads, including 3 in one day! On 3 occasions, local people who we didn’t know helped us! First off, we ran out of spare tires, & somehow limped into a little village with our range rover. Ben told us that these local people may have never seen White people before, so they were fascinated with us!
The village men repaired our tire & sent us on our way. Everyone was so friendly towards us! Later at nightfall, in site of Lake Turkana, we again broke down in the middle of nowhere. Great! Ben asked me to stay with Virginia in the vehicle while he & Chuck walked, (they didn’t know how far,) to our next destination for help.
About 3 hours later we saw headlights coming our way. It was Ben & Chuck, who had walked at least 10 or more miles to the “resort” we were to stay at. They’d gotten a ride from hotel employees, who drove us to the resort. Thank goodness for their help! We were the only guests in the resort that night. They had to turn on the generator for lights, as we swam in the pool, fed by hot springs, while they served us sandwiches & tea! The dark village next door was composed of only homemade huts.
We later heard that there were highway bandits on that road, but they didn’t think that tourists would be dumb enough to be on that road at night!!
We made it to Koobi Fora the next day on Lake Turkana. It’s the home of fossils of early man from 1.3 to 2.1 million years old! Louis & Mary Leakey had been there earlier, discovering the human remains of “Lucy,” the oldest known human remains!
These villages that we were in consisted of huts made of branches held together by mud. I bought some carved wooden figures in villages like these. Their “gas station” consisted of big tanks of petrol, & they siphoned out gas by sucking on a hose, then inserting into the gas tank! (Do you think that the rich countries of the World could do more to upgrade these people’s lives? I think so!)
As we were headed towards the Indian Ocean and Mombasa, we had 2 more flat tires, with no spares left! Some local villagers who were walking by with their spears & clubs stopped to help us! I didn’t know WHAT to expect, but wow, those people were so helpful & friendly! Ben spoke some Swahili, so we could get by.
Finally at the resort in Mombasa, I met a couple from Paris, and two guys from Dusseldorf, Germany. Since I was going to Europe after the Kenya trip, they offered for me to stay with them a few days each in France & Germany!
What a fantastic trip, & I really got to know how helpful & good-natured people can be the World over!
— Bud Jackson
What a fantastic story Bud! Thanks for sharing!
Documentary movie-worthy experience, Bud!
What an adventure!
Just curious, Bud: did the school pay for that trip? If the community college system in Washington has that level of funding, I need to pack up and move! I’m sure my college wouldn’t pop for the registration fee for me to attend a local conference.
I actually remember one time when I did something good….!!🤓 I was in the middle of Colorado riding my dirtbike on a trail that is not very well known, but it is ridden by a few people… and as I was flying down the trail, something caught my eye! I stopped and turned around and found a wallet. Of course it was full of credit cards and money.🤓! It also had an ID from one of the cadets at the Air Force Academy. I’m sure it fell out of his pocket while he was riding the trail . I was dating a Lieutenant Colonel at the Academy at the time, so it was easy for me to get that to her, and she got it to the rightful owner. I know that would be a relief to me. That’s a big deal to lose something like that…..!
Awesome Livestream topic for Wednesday …. I have a few things to share but firstly…. I’ve had Kindness Gestures Bestowed Upon Me, such as a stranger offering to /did buy my tea, as in Pay It Forward notion , my former Church family helping me out with personal reasons, etc. And over the years, probably other stuff, I just can’t exactly recall all but but what I did mention here , I definitely recall vividly …
Now as for My turn to show Kindness Towards others, yes, I’ve returned money , offer to help somewhere/for someone I sensed needed it/
One time in my former church my SpiritSoul,/Faith or however you wish to call/believe in, there was this lady whom had a young wee girl with autism or some sort of disability, one Sunday, this wee young girl , decided to sit down on floor in front of me where I was sitting , the minister/wee girl’s –mother took notice and approached me after Church service and told me that the wee girl normally does NOT do this with strangers she doesn’t know, yet for some reason, she sensed something if me , She was drawn to me, that made my heart warm, smile ….
Another time I had something occur …I’d either read about in a community area newspaper article in Ottawa, and/or seen on local TV news , about a homeless street man in downtown Ottawa who wrote poetry and was living at a Men’s Shelter in downtown core of Ottawa, near Byward Market area … I saw him one time outside a Starbucks location downtown as I walking, I recognized him from TV news and/or Community Newspaper article , so I cautiously approached him ( I normally don’t do this as most panhandling, etc are aggressive, etc ) , chatted about his poetry and his chapbooklet type thing he had created/got published , donations going to the said Men’s Shelter he lived at, I got /bought a copy of his poetry book with the promise I’d donate what I could afford to at the time to said Men’s shelter and I went to said Men’s Shelter, told them about him, and it was legitimate, he was indeed a resident at said shelter, therefore I then fulfilled my Dobation Promise as the Homeless/Street Poetical Man had requested …. I felt goid for making his day, helping a good cause with donation to shelter, etc …
So , in summary, these are just a few Kindness of Strangers Occurances and Reciprication of it Bestowed Upon to me, etc….
I’m Grateful/Blessed in with whatever form /way I can share Positivity to make someone’s day, and for the Reciprication of Gratitude/Thankfulness in Return to/for me.
Beautiful, Jacki!
Thankyou, Jeffrey 😊
Maybe because I was a Boy Scout as a kid, I dunno, I always try to be kind to strangers whenever I can. I can think of some instances where I did good deeds or some when strangers were kind to me.
I’ll mention a short one here –
Many years ago, I was walking on a subway platform (I guess they call it The Tube in England) waiting for my train. A woman walking about 10 feet in front of me dropped a wad of money. I scooped it up with my hand, hurried up to catch up to her, tapped her on the shoulder, & handed her the money. She said thank you. I do not know how much cash it was, but it seemed like a lot.
Bobby S.
Great topic, a few years ago my son’s girlfriend bought a new TV, And it was a 55 inch TV and I have a pick up truck so we went to pick up the TV And learned you can not lie it flat that it had to be sitting up, so I had no idea about that and did not bring any bungie cords so this one guy in the parking lot ( a complete stranger and in today’s world it is hard to believe anyone would help ) came over and asked us if we need any help and I told him how the TV had to be stored up right and he went into his truck and gave me two huge bungie cord to strap it upright and I asked him where he lived so I could return the straps to him and he said don’t worry, so as I was leaving and thanked him I seen he had a TV on his truck and his wife drove the truck and he sat on the back of the truck holding the TV up. That was amazing to me that he put himself out to help me.
One incident that stands out was for my wife years ago (before I met her), she was being sued for a ridiculous claim knowing she had no means at the time to defend herself. A couple she had met very briefly some time earlier, but didn’t really know them, out of the blue they paid for the legal expenses to have her case dismissed.
The only thing that comes to mind for me is someone putting quarters in my parking meter (back when that was a thing) to save me from a ticket. Santa Monica, CA was brutal with parking tickets, not sure if it still is. I left California a long time ago.
When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1992, I had a job where I drove around in a company car which had a cellphone (attached to the car, it was a big brick), which was rare at the time. If your car broke down on the freeway, you’d have to walk a couple of miles to an emergency box to get help. Usually, if I saw someone by the side of the road and thought it was safe, I would let them call for help using the phone. In a big city this might be seen as kind and unusual, but in the rural areas where I grew up, everybody stopped to help you. Though those were different times.
I would not consider this a “total stranger”story… but the woman that has been delivering our mail for the last couple years, I have befriended slightly! And about a year ago, I had been waiting for a package that was shipped by another carrier, not the post office. …and it seemed like it was taking a while?! It was finally delivered by our mail carrier…. She said she was delivering mail about a block away, and my box was sitting in the snow… and the business it was incorrectly delivered to had been closed for the holidays. She saw my name on it and picked it up and delivered it with our mail! That is going way beyond her job description! She also delivered one of my packages a couple weeks ago from the MonaLisaTwins…. And all it had was the first numbers of my address and the city, state and zip code…. no street address or unit number, but again she saw my name on it …when someone asked her about it, she said “I know him!” The US post office in the United States does not have a very good reputation because it is way over budget and loses a lot of mail! But I have learned that it is the people that make any company or organization work! I have a Christmas card waiting for her next time I see her!🤓
Hey Tim,
Postal carriers do a lot of good things for people in the community. I was one for ten years – as one of my many careers, including a being a teacher, a musician, a retail business owner & more lol. I sometimes redelivered packages that were misdelivered by other carriers. I rang the bell of some elderly folks and hand delivered their mail to save them from walking to their mailbox outside. And other things, but I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging.
Bobby S.
Hey Robert! I’m sure there are a lot of good postal workers because… the majority of people are good! It’s funny how the bad ones is all we hear about usually! Thanks for being one of the good ones!🤓🤙
Our postal carrier is awesome! When I moved to town a few years ago I bought a large, rural style 📫. The first time I was outside doing yardwork when my mail arrived he called to me “Postal workers love people like you!” I asked him why and he gestured and said “Big mailbox!” I walked over and told him I fairly often get vinyl LPs in the mail and thought it only fair. Ever since, even though they fit in the box, he brings them to my door on hot days to prevent them getting damaged.
Over the years the somewhat rural road we live on has been a magnet for people to run out of fuel or break down. I have given away at least 60 gallons (230 liters) of fuel to people just trying to make ends meet, many offer to work it off on the farm or pay when they can, these people I just tell to pay it forward when they can. Those who can afford it will refill the can and return in a day. And YES! there are a few that have taken my cans and never returned, but I still do it to this day. It feels good to help deserving people!
In 2008 my wife’s sister Kristy gave birth to twin girls who born very premature. They were taken to the Mayo clinic in Rochester Minnesota to be kept on incubators as they only weighed 1 pound and 5 ounces apiece. Every day for 2 months Kristy worked a full shift as a nurse in Tomah WI and drove the two hour trip to Rochester to be with her girls, then 2 hours back. This was during winter and one night she slid off the highway and rolled her car over. She was unconscious but some young man stopped and went to her aid. He called for help and stayed with her and kept her warm until paramedics got there. She only found out about the man after she got to the hospital but no one ever got his name. Kristy was fine but unfortunately one daughter only lived a few weeks. The second just celebrated her 15th birthday on October 20th.
That’s very touching, Tim! God bless you and your family.
That almost sounds like a movie that needs to get made. Tragic, sad, inspiring, and miraculous all at the same time.
Roger it was a crazy time and there’s a lot more to the story. I don’t think it could be made into a movie because no one would believe it. I just thank God for their Mother and a couple friends that helped out when it was really needed.
Like others, I cannot remember being the beneficiary of an extreme act of kindness from a complete stranger. However, I have from a relative stranger.
In 2022 I was in a situation to buy a flat (apartment) in London by selling the one I owned in Birmingham (I had been renting it out and renting in London) and because my brothers wanted my life to be more straightforward so they had agreed to sub me some of the money from my inheritance before my mother died as we had power of attorney over her affairs. I had found a suitable flat to move to and advised my landlord of this as I wanted him to be able to find a new tenant asap. His response was that he was interested in selling the flat that I lived in (and had since 31/12/2019). Unfortunately, the market rate for it was way beyond my price range. Jeffrey, my landlord, then offered me the flat at 80% of market value. I still do not know why but it made it possible for me to buy it, although it was at the very top of what I was willing/able to pay. It saved on the expense of actually moving so this was offset somewhat. There is no way that I can ever actually properly express my gratitude to him.
Strangely, he has now moved into the flat next to mine. Sadly, this is mainly due to the death of his wife.
As is the case for many MLT club members, one of the main aims of my life is to help others, general kindness if you like. The most recent big case of this is when I found a debit card on the tube in London. As an ex banker I knew what I had to do. As soon as I got above ground I called the bank where the account was held and advised them of the situation. The card had not been reported missing yet so the customer service clerk thanked and me said that she would advise their customer and immediately issue a new card. I stated that I would destroy the card by cutting it up and because I could use ‘banking’ language/code she knew that I would do this. The only thing I did apart from that was investigate roughly where the holder was from by finding out where the bank sorting code on the card (similar to a routing code) was for, it was Luton a town 30 miles north of London, this was purely for my person interest. Such things just make me feel good about myself and is what I hope others would do for me, it is as simple as that.
My brothers are similar. When we were very young my brother, Andrew, and I were in a newsagents near where we lived. A man came out of the office and as he did so dropped a £5 note, a lot of money in those days. Andrew and I looked at each other and as he was the nearer he picked up the note and ran over to the man who was leaving the shop and handed it back to him. It was just what our mother would expect us to do.
Edit. Having now read more contributions of others it has brought back numerous memories of times that I have helped others. Like them, I don’t want anything apart from self satisfaction from these, probably why I don’t recall them without being reminded. Like the girls, who are obviously the same, it is one of the common threads of MLT members.
Philip, I see the same common thread. I like helping people when I can, just to see a smile. I like reading all the stories and think maybe that common thread is why we are all in this club. We all want to see Mona and Lisa continue making music and want to help them if we can.
I saw a situation unfold similar to your 5 pound note story. A lady dropped a big wad of bills out of her pocket in a Walmart store. A young man, who probably had far less money, saw it happen at the same time as I did. He grabbed it, and gave it to her. She didn’t even thank him. I glanced at him, gave him a thumbs up; then everyone went there separate ways.
I’ve witnessed my Mom’s generosity and selfless acts numerous times throughout my lifetime. She is easily the most giving, least selfish person I’ve ever witnessed first-hand. Often, she gives away something she uses regularly, and then has to replace it. Most recently, three different times she’s been gifted a gift card on various occasions and each time she insisted she wanted them to go to a friend who God laid on her heart to bless. I happily wrote checks for the amounts and forwarded them to our friend in Mom’s name. Then I used the cards to buy groceries or more often, something for her. She amazes me constantly!
It is wonderful when one’s own parents are such examples of kindness and generosity. If only all children had a role model like your mom.
She’s one-of-a-kind, Jeannette! I think I’ll keep her.
I feel like she is a special honorary member of the MLT club. Club Grandma?!
I was fortunate to have a similar type of mother. It means that you are similar, probably without knowing it, as it is always the normal/usual thing to do.
This one goes back to the days when cell phones were not as common.
I was coming home from work when I ran out of gas. It was a very busy highway and it was rush hour when everyone was in a hurry to get home. I had just gotten out of my car when another pulled over in front of me and a young lady got out and asked me if I wanted to use her cell phone. I called my wife to run a gas can out to me. I was very grateful that this young lady helped me out. At the same time, I was thinking that she was about my daughters age and if she pulled over to help a perfect stranger I would probably chew her out for being reckless and putting herself in potential danger. I was very conflicted about it. 🤷♂️
While not a perfect stranger(we’d exchange an informal ‘hi’ or ‘bye’ on occasion), I recall a very kind incident from my youth. While in third or fourth grade I missed at least a week of school with some ailment I don’t remember. The school janitor, Mr. Willis McKee, came to my house with some ice cream bars for me. I was awed and we later became good friends. His image is what my mind’s eye imagines what Janitor Joe looks like, even after Natalie’s interpretation!
There has been a few acts of kindness in my local Sainsburys supermarket, where a person pays for the shopping of the person behind them at the till, which is both very generous and kind. About 6 years ago I sang for 4 hours non-stop in the local outdoor shopping mall, accompanied by around 6 ladies with collection buckets positioned around the perimeter of the square collecting for The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester. One of the ladies came over to me to tell me to keep singing uptempo songs because more people donated to her bucket, which I found both amusing and testing, because I needed a rest with the odd ballad and struggled to keep going with uptempo songs ha ha.
I believe that most strangers are decent folks who will rise to the opportunity to show kindness. Unfortunately, the other sort of stranger gets more publicity! In my life, two memories stand out, although I have to say that the months I was pregnant were filled with random acts of helpfulness from strangers!
When I was a university student, I had a brief period of feeling very low in spirits – I don’t remember why. I do remember walking along my favourite river and stopping to sit on a bench, feeling utterly miserable. An older gentleman came along and sat beside me. As he conversed, he seemed to know how I felt and what I was experiencing – without me saying a word. By the end of the conversation, I felt strangely understood, comforted, and encouraged. We parted ways and I never saw him again, but I’ve always felt grateful for the time he spent with me.
Several years ago, I found myself in another unhappy time, just having escaped from a dangerous and abusive relationship. As I walked down the street, I came upon a homeless woman. I stopped to chat for a few minutes and to offer assistance. At the end of our conversation, she offered me a hug. In that moment of tremendous loneliness and vulnerability, her hug was such a gracious and much needed gift that I was overwhelmed by her kindness. We stayed in regular contact after sad until sadly, she died – still on the streets but wrapped in my full length down coat.
Lastly, if anyone wishes a heartwarming read, I highly recommend this article about a 12-year-old boy who reached out to a complete stranger:
An Israeli teen lost his father and brother in the Hamas attacks; an American boy was inspired to take action (nbcnews.com)
I don’t have any heroic acts to report, although I do give money to the cold and wet homeless people who sit outside the supermarkets and buskers. I also donate to a few charities such as one to support deaf children. Also I sometimes have to deliver the mail to other streets in the area as the postal staff seem to occasionally just deliver to the right house number without checking it’s the correct street! I was reminded of this just now as a stranger just drove round to my house to deliver my mail which they got by mistake!
We also have to be 2nd level postal people here in the US Allan. It didn’t used to be this way, it’s a bit weird.
Years ago there was a very sad thing that took the lives of 4 police officers. I won’t go into details but a couple weeks later myself and a couple friends were in a coffee shop for lunch. There was a table a bit down from us that had 3 uniformed policemen sitting quietly. I asked the waitress to please bring me their check and paid it. When they prepared to leave and pay their tab, the waitress told them their tab was cleared and she pointed to our table. They all came over and tried to pay us back but I calmly said that they were appreciated very much, and we shared their loss of their fallen members. They stood there in stunned silence for a brief moment and then said a quiet but heartfelt “thank-you”. I will never forget the feeling my friends and I shared that day.
I don’t understand the highly negative feelings from the press and too many citizens in the US toward the police. My interfaces with the police have been almost all positive, and I would hate to live in a world without them. There are bad cops, but most do a good job in a tough environment.
A lot of the time if people react badly to you it is you that is the problem, not them. Be kind and nice to people to ensure that it is not so. No doubt, this is what you do Dennis and, obviously, Daryl as well.
This may sound like I’m tooting my own 📯 but I’m sharing this to illustrate the potential for positive impact that comes from random acts of kindness.
I was in a long line waiting to pay for my items at a store in Rockford, Illinois a couple years ago. It was near Christmas then, too. A lady of mideastern descent directly in front of me was having difficulty. She hadn’t enough funds for her purchases and spoke almost no English. I heard a few impatient grumbles from behind me. I tried to quietly tell the cashier that I’d pay for her purchases but she not quietly pointed out that the bill was $30 something. I said ‘that’s ok’ and swiped my debit card. The lady wasn’t sure it was ok to take her items, and when we convinced her they were paid for she tried to give me what money she had, which I refused. She then gave a little bow and left. The lady behind me patted me on the back and told me that was the sweetest thing. The cashier came around the counter and hugged me. I heard a “hey!” and turned to see one of the grumblers give me a sheepish smile and a 👍. I’d have preferred to help the lady anonymously, but the fact others unavoidably witnessed the act may have encouraged them to do likewise for someone else.
Nice! I totally agree that that act of kindness may have also helped to nudge a few others to be a little kinder themselves. Also, that sort of charity went directly to a person in need.
I prefer to remain anonymous as well in such situations. In a way I am just being good for me, self satisfaction and all that.
Absolutely, and besides that I didn’t want to draw attention to the lady I wanted to help so as not to embarrass her in any way.
I was riding my bike some years ago to work, it was very early in the morning about 6′ h clock. I drove over a parking lot.All of a sudden i thought i woke up and two man helped me up. I was confused and the men told me they were passing on the nearby road and saw me slip with my bike and fall. When they did not see me coming up they stopped the car and ran to me. I had’nt noticed it was slippery on the lot because it had rained and afterwards been freezing. If these two man had not stopped, god knows how this would have ended.
My wife Judy was shopping one day. When she got back to the car it wouldn’t start – the battery was dead. Then she noticed a rough looking guy coming her way, which worried her – what was he going to do? The man approached her … and asked if she needed a jump-start, and she was soon on her way home.
In the US, there is a view from some urban people that ranchers and other rural people in general are their enemy. That feeling is often mutual. My Geocaching hobby takes me out in some remote areas from time to time, and on at least three occasions in the past year I have had people stop and ask if I was OK. Two were ranchers. One of them stopped after turning on a side road and came back to see if we were ok. I walked across the road and thanked him for stopping and chatted with him a bit. If we had been in trouble, he would have been there to help. There are lots of bad people in the world, but I have found most of them are good, friendly people. The song “Why” resonates so perfectly with me.
Good to hear that ranchers are friendly and helpful, especially in remote places. I fear we have a poor unfounded view of them from watching too many old western movies!
I have never heard of such a feeling, or experienced it. It must vary by locale. I have mostly lived in a large cities but spend lots of time in rural areas and in my experience, country folk are the nicest, most generous and friendly people there are, whereas most of the undesirables are found in urban environments, although there are bad apples everywhere and it’s probably just a question of population density. Of course, these days, no one can afford to trust anyone implicitly (without considerable risk) so even the country folk lock their doors, load the shotgun, and train the dog. But that’s a precaution, not a mindset.
I grew up in farm country in Wisconsin and I’d say 99% of country folks are kind, helpful, generous people. I’ll give you an example. One winter (before cell phones)a few of us were out drinking until bar time (2:00am). Me, my brother Kelly and two cousins, Joe and Leo left in Kelly’s car. It was snowing heavy and the roads were slick. After dropping Joe off at his house in the country we headed towards home. We slid off the road and ended up stuck in the ditch. Me and Leo started walking to find a house with a phone we could use to get help. We walked about a mile and found a farmhouse with the lights on and knocked on the door. There was a house party going on. We explained our situation and they offered to pull us out with a tractor but they wanted to finish their card game. We said sure because we wanted to warm up anyway. They even gave us each a beer to drink while we waiting. When they finished their game we all headed back up the road to my brother and his stuck car. One tractor, a four wheel drive truck, 3 or 4 snowmobiles, maybe 10 people and a couple dogs. It sure surprised my brother (who was sleeping). Pulled the car out no problem, we thanked them and we offered them money, which they wouldn’t take. They were just a good kind family having a good time helping somebody out and just an example of the folks that live in the country in the Midwestern U.S.
That’s awesome and reminded me of a time Dad pulled a truck out of the ditch near our house with our tractor! It was spring and the shoulder was soft and pulled the truck in as soon as he left the roadway. Actually, now that I think of it, Dad did that on more than one occasion. Thanks for spurring another fond memory of my late Dad!
It is common to get stuck in the winter here. I’ve been stuck plenty of times and pulled people out many times. Once I met a cop car on a 90 degree corner on ice. We both spun around and landed in the ditch on either side of the road. Me and my friends pushed him out and then he helped us push my car out, it was pretty funny.
There ya go. 😀
That’s funny, I always thought it was the rural folk who mistrusted the big-city folk! 😋
Yes, the mistrust is too often there from both sides