Random Acts of Kindness- What are your experiences?

OldNotWIse

Re-homed a cat from an elderly lady who could no longer care for him because of her illness. She was upset to see him go but knew that he would be better off with someone else. After a few days I felt it wasn't right the way things were so I called her and asked if she would like us to bring him over to visit. She cried when she saw him. He knew her straight away of course and I was humbled to see the reunion. Both were so happy and oblivious to their surroundings.

Every week after that we would bring him over and leave them for a couple of hours then collect him again. She sadly passed away a few months after, but I am glad we managed to give them that time together and I think it meant a lot to both of them.

magicmushroom

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Re-homed a cat from an elderly lady who could no longer care for him because of her illness. She was upset to see him go but knew that he would be better off with someone else. After a few days I felt it wasn't right the way things were so I called her and asked if she would like us to bring him over to visit. She cried when she saw him. He knew her straight away of course and I was humbled to see the reunion. Both were so happy and oblivious to their surroundings.

Every week after that we would bring him over and leave them for a couple of hours then collect him again. She sadly passed away a few months after, but I am glad we managed to give them that time together and I think it meant a lot to both of them.

This is my favourite story on the thread, so nice of you, I love it

Breffnigolfer

From the BBC bbc.com/news/magazine-12043294


"One act of kindness that befell British writer Bernard Hare in 1982 changed him profoundly. Then a student living just north of London, he tells the story to inspire troubled young people to help deal with their disrupted lives.

The police called at my student hovel early evening, but I didn't answer as I thought they'd come to evict me. I hadn't paid my rent in months.

But then I got to thinking: my mum hadn't been too good and what if it was something about her?

We had no phone in the hovel and mobiles hadn't been invented yet, so I had to nip down the phone box.

I rang home to Leeds to find my mother was in hospital and not expected to survive the night. "Get home, son," my dad said.

I got to the railway station to find I'd missed the last train. A train was going as far as Peterborough, but I would miss the connecting Leeds train by twenty minutes.

I bought a ticket home and got on anyway. I was a struggling student and didn't have the money for a taxi the whole way, but I had a screwdriver in my pocket and my bunch of skeleton keys.

I was so desperate to get home that I planned to nick a car in Peterborough, hitch hike, steal some money, something, anything. I just knew from my dad's tone of voice that my mother was going to die that night and I intended to get home if it killed me.

"Tickets, please," I heard, as I stared blankly out of the window at the passing darkness. I fumbled for my ticket and gave it to the guard when he approached. He stamped it, but then just stood there looking at me. I'd been crying, had red eyes and must have looked a fright.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Course I'm okay," I said. "Why wouldn't I be? And what's it got to do with you in any case?"

"You look awful," he said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You could get lost and mind your own business," I said. "That'd be a big help." I wasn't in the mood for talking.

He was only a little bloke and he must have read the danger signals in my body language and tone of voice, but he sat down opposite me anyway and continued to engage me.

"If there's a problem, I'm here to help. That's what I'm paid for."

I was a big bloke in my prime, so I thought for a second about physically sending him on his way, but somehow it didn't seem appropriate. He wasn't really doing much wrong. I was going through all the stages of grief at once: denial, anger, guilt, withdrawal, everything but acceptance. I was a bubbling cauldron of emotion and he had placed himself in my line of fire.

The only other thing I could think of to get rid of him was to tell him my story.

"Look, my mum's in hospital, dying, she won't survive the night, I'm going to miss the connection to Leeds at Peterborough, I'm not sure how I'm going to get home.

"It's tonight or never, I won't get another chance, I'm a bit upset, I don't really feel like talking, I'd be grateful if you'd leave me alone. Okay?"

"Okay," he said, finally getting up. "Sorry to hear that, son. I'll leave you alone then. Hope you make it home in time." Then he wandered off down the carriage back the way he came.

I continued to look out of the window at the dark. Ten minutes later, he was back at the side of my table. Oh no, I thought, here we go again. This time I really am going to rag him down the train.

He touched my arm. "Listen, when we get to Peterborough, shoot straight over to Platform One as quick as you like. The Leeds train'll be there."

I looked at him dumbfounded. It wasn't really registering. "Come again," I said, stupidly. "What do you mean? Is it late, or something?"

"No, it isn't late," he said, defensively, as if he really cared whether trains were late or not. "No, I've just radioed Peterborough. They're going to hold the train up for you. As soon as you get on, it goes.

"Everyone will be complaining about how late it is, but let's not worry about that on this occasion. You'll get home and that's the main thing. Good luck and God bless."

Then he was off down the train again. "Tickets, please. Any more tickets now?"

I suddenly realised what a top-class, fully-fledged doilem I was and chased him down the train. I wanted to give him all the money from my wallet, my driver's licence, my keys, but I knew he would be offended.

I caught him up and grabbed his arm. "Oh, er, I just wanted to…" I was suddenly speechless. "I, erm…"

"It's okay," he said. "Not a problem." He had a warm smile on his face and true compassion in his eyes. He was a good man for its own sake and required nothing in return.

"I wish I had some way to thank you," I said. "I appreciate what you've done."

"Not a problem," he said again. "If you feel the need to thank me, the next time you see someone in trouble, you help them out. That will pay me back amply.

"Tell them to pay you back the same way and soon the world will be a better place."

I was at my mother's side when she died in the early hours of the morning. Even now, I can't think of her without remembering the Good Conductor on that late-night train to Peterborough and, to this day, I won't hear a bad word said about British Rail.

My meeting with the Good Conductor changed me from a selfish, potentially violent hedonist into a decent human being, but it took time.

"I've paid him back a thousand times since then," I tell the young people I work with, "and I'll keep on doing so till the day I die. You don't owe me nothing. Nothing at all."

"And if you think you do, I'd give you the same advice the Good Conductor gave me. Pass it down the line.""

cajonlardo

cajonlardo wrote: »

Several times people have handed me parking tickets with time left, that always makes me feel good.
Security lads in the hospital I have to go to regularly always get a parking space. They could just mind their own business but they go out of their way to take care of sick people and I respect them for it.

One day in very heavy rain, I was in my car and about to drive off. A really dodgy looking lad came up and knocked the window.
I thought " ah here we go" but for some reason I went ahead and wound it down. The best I expected was to be asked for "odds" and I was prepared for worse.
" Thats a really nice car bud" he said. I looked at him. He was drowned through to the skin and skin and bones is what he was. To be honest, I'd say he was a thorough Junkie.I've a son about his age. Looking at a human being shaking with cold and soaked right through just isn't right. So I asked him where he was going. It was a local rough estate. I told him to hop in and drove him up to his house. All the way he kept saying " Thats all anyone wants, just someone to do you a good turn now and then. Instead of everytime you go out the door someone kicks yer fcuking teeth in..." Dropped him to his door and he said " Just do one more thing for me. Beep the horn. I want everyone to see me getting out of this yoke."

That proper made me smile

The Strawman Argument

Few months back I saw an old woman struggling her way up Bothar na mBan (steep road near Eyre Square) with a heap of shopping bags. Stopped to see if she was okay and she was crying her eyes out, saying she had to be down by the docks to get a bus back to the Aran Islands by 5, had like 20 minutes to collect her bags from a hotel, get a tablet from the Vodafone store and to do her grocery shopping still; I was like "we can totally do all of that!", grabbed her bags and sped along with her to run through it all. When we got to Dunnes she had a bit of a brain freeze going "I don't know what to get for dinner!" so I told her to line-up at the checkout and I'd grab a load of regular dinner things (mince meat, milk, bread, etc) from which she could pick the ones she needed.
Wound up being about ten minutes early so she got really insistent on buying me an Aran jumper from a place we went by, I was having none of it, as a compromise she asked for my mam's address so she could send a letter saying how great of a son she has.

...retrospectively, I think I'd trade in the excessive niceness on my behalf and weird letter for the jumper though.

shuffles88

A few years ago when I was a teenager I went to Belfast with a friend, we were going to a concert in the Kings Hall and took the bus out fully expecting to be out in time for the last bus back into the city. Of course when the concert ended we had missed the last bus but thought sure we'll just pick up a taxi outside.

Big problem, you couldn't hail a taxi you had to call and book them. So we both tried our phones but neither worked. We were rightly fooked. We saw a phone box and thought we were laughing until we realised we had no change. So I saw a pub just over the road and thought grand I'll go in there and get change except the big dick head bouncer wouldn't let me in (was over age AND had my I.D), I explained that I only wanted change to phone a taxi and he told me to F*ck off.

At this point I was getting seriously stressed, we were miles from the hotel, no map to find the way and it was mid November and we were soaked to the skin. As I walked away from the pub a taxi man who was waiting for his fare to come out rolled down the window and asked if I was alright so I explained everything and he said this shower has me waiting out here for 20 minutes so feck them, hop in! Only for him I don't know what we'd have done, we were poor students but we tipped him very well for his kindness.

I always try and help people out if I see someone in a bit of bother and I think it definitely comes back around when you need it yourself.

Lalealea

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Re-homed a cat from an elderly lady who could no longer care for him because of her illness. She was upset to see him go but knew that he would be better off with someone else. After a few days I felt it wasn't right the way things were so I called her and asked if she would like us to bring him over to visit. She cried when she saw him. He knew her straight away of course and I was humbled to see the reunion. Both were so happy and oblivious to their surroundings.

Every week after that we would bring him over and leave them for a couple of hours then collect him again. She sadly passed away a few months after, but I am glad we managed to give them that time together and I think it meant a lot to both of them.

That's so lovely.

leahyl

Breffnigolfer wrote: »

From the BBC bbc.com/news/magazine-12043294


"One act of kindness that befell British writer Bernard Hare in 1982 changed him profoundly. Then a student living just north of London, he tells the story to inspire troubled young people to help deal with their disrupted lives...


.""

I cried like a baby at this!

anewme

leahyl wrote: »

I cried like a baby at this!

I've read that story of the Good Conductor before and every time I see it again, I have to read it. Love it so much.

Hermy

I used to work in Dublin as a taxi driver. The job had it's bad side but there were always the random acts of kindness to redress the balance. Whether it was returning lost property or helping tourists with directions there was always something you could do to help strangers.

One time I was coming in by Constitution Hill when a lady hailed me. I stopped the car to let her in but she approached the window instead. She was in tears and said she had no money but could I please bring her to her address. She started to proffer a business card explaining that I could call to her office in the morning to collect the fare. I told her not to worry about the money - just get in the taxi and we'll get you home.

Another time coming through Rathgar I noticed a group of lads up ahead on the path. A hand went out so I slowed up to let them in. Just the one lad hopped in and he thanked me profusely for stopping. Just doing my job I said. But he explained that the gang were about to jump him so it seems I saved him from a hiding. I had no idea but it was good to know I had turned up at the right time.

One that sticks out is a group I picked up in Temple Bar. One passenger hoped out on the other side of town and when she did them that remained explained to me that she was a stranger to them, holidaying in Dublin and that they had intervened when her boyfriend had been beating her up. They brought her in somewhere for a coffee and then took her back towards whatever accommodation she was staying in. Needless to say I looked for no money when my the other passengers reached their destination.

Early on a Friday night I remember alerting some guards on foot patrol to a lad getting his head kicked in by a gang near the Halfpenny Bridge. I wasn't sure how they'd react but fair play they legged it up the road after them.

And driving down Wicklow Street another night I came across a young lad having a fairly serious row with a girl - had her by the throat up against a wall. I stopped and told him to let her go, that the police were on the way. He told me to fnck off and I said far enough but you still better let her go which he eventually did. I then offered the rather frightened girl a lift but she said all would be okay - apparently he was her boyfriend. Fair enough I said and went on up the road but I went around the block and came back again to be sure he didn't attack her again. This time I found them sat on the footpath talking civilly to each other so I left them be to kiss and make up.

Last one I can think of for now - I was passing by the Viscount Pub in Whitehall when I spotted a lad on the footpath with his bike on top of him. Assuming that he'd been knocked off his bike I did a hasty u-turn and pulled up on the path beside him ready to call 999. Thankfully it was just a mechanical issue and he was just sat there frustrated cause he couldn't get to where he was going. The chain had gotten nicely jammed between the frame and the cogs but I'm a bike mechanic so I was able to sort the bike out in a couple of minutes and he was on his way.

I should say this isn't about me throwing bouquets at myself - it's just nice to remember a time when I was in a position to make a difference. Being unemployed now those opportunities don't present themselves so often but even if I just get to hold a door for someone at a shop there's reward in that.