My goodness, that is nice!

That is a wonderful story, although up until now, I've never heard directly from anyone that it had happened to. Such a lovely, thoughtful gesture of pure kindness! You have inspired me to carry this sweet act forward too. The next time I'm in line at the drive through, I think I will go ahead and pay for the order of the person behind me.

What a surprise, & a delightful treat! Couldn't have happened to a nicer person, Marlene, as I know you have put some good karma out there. Thanks for sharing!

I was the beneficiary of a giant act of kindness many years ago. I was 18, married with a three year old daughter. We were living in Oakland when our old truck bit the dust. Looked in the Tribune for a cheap car and came across an older but well kept Studebaker. Original owners, $300.

We drove across the city and found this immaculate vehicle. Fell in love and gave them a check.

A few days later, I was horrified to receive a note from our bank. The check had bounced. Since we had just been paid, I immediately phoned the sellers to apologize and tell them we would return that evening with cash.

They would hear of no such thing!!! They insisted that we keep the money AND the car. They said they were so impressed with us as a couple and of how well mannered Aimee was and they were just thrilled to see us get a nice car.

We drove over that evening anyway but they refused to take the cash.

Every year we adopt a family with teenagers through 'Women of Worth'. We take the teens because hardly anyone else does. We have purchased Ugg boots and nice thick sweatshirts. One young man wanted snowboard pants. We purchased them with hesitancy, wondering if he would ever be able to use them. We gave him a ticket for the slopes at the closest ski resort.

I have worked my whole life trying to return the favor from those very nice people who insisted on giving us their car. It ran for many many years and proved reliable. I loved that car.

ah, how nice; a reminder to do things like that once in a while, thanks.

I often overtip taxi drivers , they work very long hours to make their wages.
For me that's one way to pay it forward.

Tim Horton's is a huge coffee chain in Canada and some northern states (you all probably know that anyway...). In my city that happens quite a bit at the drive-thru, it's actually pretty common. One of those random acts of kindness that makes you smile & have a good day.

Really cool story Golddust!! People like the ones who sold you the vehicle really leave an impression. :)

Yes, very moving story, Golddust. I am so glad that fate smiled on you in such a big way. How wonderful that you have never forgotten it.

Oh, how nice. Maybe you should have paid for the entire order of the person behind you. ;)

I have helped people ahead of me in lines who were a little short when it was time to pay. This seemed to happen once in awhile when I worked at a hospital and ate in the cafeteria.

Golddust, that is a sweet story. Sounds like you have paid it forward many times over.

Dedtired said:

"Oh, how nice. Maybe you should have paid for the entire order of the person behind you. ;)"

I was too flustered, Dedtired. When I regained my composure, I made a donation to pay for 30 days of meals for the elderly.

Goldy, I love your story. It is so heartwarming.

That's so nice! I had it happen at a toll gate once. We like to do it on occasion such as last winter while on a ski trip. We were in a restaurant enjoying a nice meal and we took care of the bar tab for a group of active duty military sitting nearby.

What a lovely thing to do! And Marlene - bless you for paying it forward!!

tina

Since it's 'the season' for giving i'm keeping my eyes(and ears)wide open for someone who needs a little help. I'm not talking about those who hang out randomly on the side of the road, but someone who is probably too proud too ask for any help.

Knowing you've been blessed, it just makes sense to pass the blessings on. I've been given way too many in my lifetime, probably more than I deserve. ;o)

What a nice treat and inspiration to pay it forward.

My story of a RAOK happened today to me at work. There was some deal where you could send a 'turkey-gram' to coworkers, a note of appreciation, and you could add a treat with a small donation. I TOTALLY forgot about this and today when I got back in the office from being out in the field all day, someone came by and delivered 3 turkey-grams to me, and I found one on my desk from my boss (along with a homemade cookie). Each one had a nice little note and it really touched me.

Sometimes we just get so busy and forget to pass it along, but the little nice notes, or having someone do a RAOK really reminds us that, over all, people are good.

In one of the many small, Asian owned markets in manhattan, several years ago, I had only cash and came up short for my two items: milk and an azalea plant. The woman behind me offered to pay for me. I thanked her, saying i only needed the milk and would not get the plant. The cashier(owner?) told me to take it and pay him later. In nyc! I was flabbergasted.
Recently, at a Ca.Subway sandwich, a woman's whole order ( about 15$)was paid for by a strager in line when she found herself without her credit card.
I often over tip in restaurants , as mitch does in taxis, and for the same reason.
Good thought patty cakes... I'll be keeping my eyes a bit more open too.
Nice post. :>_). Marti

For many years what I have done is to stop and help people who are broken down on the side of the road.

I always have a small can of gas in the car, and basic repair tools, jacks, water, antifreeze, fix-a-flat, flashlights, a tow rope, road flares, etc. I make a particular effort to never pass by a woman with a disabled car, day or night. But I'll even stop if it's a man under most circumstances, particularly if it's still daylight.

It's a risky thing to do, I realize, but I think it's even riskier for someone who is stranded on the road. And back when I had shakey cars -and before cell phones - I remember how scared and anxious I was when it happened to me.

I have actually never felt menaced or unsafe due to the drivers of the cars. Occasionally, however, I feel worried that we're all going to be squashed by other drivers roaring past. It's really satisfying to get a car back underway, or even just to wait with them for a tow truck and then drive them where they need to go.

L.

Lately I've made it a point to thank people that I work with for the countless things they do to make my job (and hence my life) easier. I've sent notes to people to tell them they did an excellent job on their presentation, or even just thanking one of the clerks for always having her documents well organized when she brings them to us for signature. It doesn't cost a thing to genuinely thank someone, yet the way their faces light up when I do so probably gives me even more pleasure than the "thanks" gives them! (So does it make my acts self-serving? I hope not. I just like to think that good things beget good things. :-))

Liriodendron, just last week, I was driving home at dusk. I was literally a block from my house (which is about five houses away). A young man was stopped at the stopped sign, coming in the opposite direction. He was standing next to his car, obviously something was wrong. I admit, for a moment, I hesitated to stop, but I'm thinking, geez, nothing will happen to me here, I'm right in front of my neighbor's house and can see my home from here.

I stopped, rolled down my window and he asked if I had a cell phone, that he had just gotten his car out of the shop and it broke down again. He said he knew a tow truck company, so I offered to call. He was rummaging through a bunch of papers and cards in his wallet, but I was able to look up the number on my phone and called for him. He seemed a little nervous/flustered, but I could tell he was being honest (the tow truck driver knew him when I called) and was really down on his luck. While he was searching for the number, he was telling me how he'd just spent a lot of money fixing up his car, etc (it was an older car too) so I had a feeling he didn't have much money to spare. After making sure the tow truck was coming, I drove the rest of the way home.

When telling my husband later, he told me I shouldn't have stopped. I was miffed - I mean what has this country come to? I think it would have been different if I was on a deserted road, I probably would have (and have done) called the police to report the disabled car (I do that all the time when I'm on the highway). But here I was in my own neighborhood, this was apparently someone from my neighborhood, I wasn't going to turn my back on him (plus I was IN my car and did not give him my phone but called myself).

I realize my husband is looking out for my safety and I understand. Years ago, when my oldest was an infant, my husband traveled out of the country for weeks at a time. One night before Christmas, the woman across the street from me was robbed at gunpoint in her driveway! We live in a very safe neighborhood, but apparently these teenagers saw her get in her car at the store a few miles away and followed her home. She actually recognized one of the boys as the son of our mailman. She very calmly talked them out of the what they were doing (she works with kids) and they escaped w/o any money, then police later caught them. The crazy thing is that I was leaving my house at right around that time to walk over to another neighbor's house for dinner (dh was out of town and they were having a holiday party). Thankfully, I missed the whole thing but was in shock after it happened to her and made me more conscious of always watching who is driving behind me at night (we live on a peninsula w/only one road in/out so normally don't get strangers down here). And while I feel completely safe here, it just showed me that crazy things like that can happen anywhere. Anyway, it jaded my husband who I think felt powerless with me being home alone while he traveled so much.

Now when dh is with me, we have stopped many times to help people on the side of the road. One time, we were driving on the Washington DC beltway (for those of you who know it, it is a heavily traveled busy highway). I saw this old man standing on the side of the road near his car and made dh pull over. THis was back when cell phones were not as common and I figured he wouldn't have one. It was a VERY hot and humid summer day and he told us he'd been standing out there at least 30 minutes and no one stopped. We ended up calling AAA for him and somehow in the process, I ended up needing his license and noticed that he was 86 years old! I was flabbergasted that not a single person had stopped for him. We ended up staying with him until the tow truck arrived.

I have to admit I am frightened to stop and help someone in a vehicle. I had two young men approach me - supposedly for directions - but they were really trying to get me in their vehicle. I know of someone who stopped to help a stranded vehicle and a passenger was hiding off the road and my friend was robbed, thankfully not hurt!!! I hate to not help people but what I do is make a phone call. My husband has cautioned me not to help others when I am alone, but together we have helped by buying someone groceries, a meal, gas etc. We prefer to do that and know we are meeting a need rather than handing out money. I know there are so many out there who truly NEED, but we have to face that there are those who act that way just to scam others. I have actually sat and watched this happen on the college campus where I work - both times a man and woman team. Anyhoo - I digress.

Sunny - you are so right about a simple thank you. It can mean so much to someone. One thing we try to do - if we get good service, I try to remember to mention the waitress/waitor to the manager. We almost always tip over what is expected.

I will forever remember an older gentleman in the grocery store who put back a few of his items because he did not have enough money with him. WHY I did not step up and offer to pay the difference, I don't know. It hit me after he left the store. I felt awful. All I could think was, that could have been my grandfather!! I never want that to happen again.

Golddust, what a wonderful story and how nice you are to continue to pay that kindness back by helping others.

I've noticed that people asking for handouts in front of the grocery store have increased significantly in just the last two weeks. I'm stumped because I would be willing to help someone truly in need, but I keep reading stories about how most of those people are scamming passers-by. I don't know what to think.

Re being afraid to stop: Sometimes you just have to go with your gut. On several occasions I've seen a car stopped - sometimes on the side of the road, sometimes blocking a lane - on my short drive to/from work. The car is literally held together with duct tape and bungee cords. It's the most pitiful looking vehicle I've ever seen. There is always a man standing nearby who will be gesturing wildly, frantically trying to get someone to stop. He is genuinely scary-looking, and I do make it a point to not judge someone by their appearance (some of the wildest looking people I know are wonderful souls). However, there's something just not quite right about this whole scenario. The man's eyes are crazy and bloodshot. In the car sits at least two, sometimes three, women passengers. They all look completely derelict, and at first glance, you'd think they were just in a broken down car and asking for help. On one occasion when I saw this group, the man had managed to stop a couple in a van. I came upon them just as the person on the passenger's side was quickly rolling up the window and the van was getting out of there as fast as they could. The "wildman" spotted me and frantically attempted to flag me down, even approaching my car at a fast past. I sped off. That whole scene just reeks of scam, although a small part of me still goes out to those people who, for whatever reason, have a "need" to do what they do.

Anyway, I do think that sometimes you have to gauge the situation carefully and act as your instincts tell you to act.

Once in a great while, I will see a teenage girl hitch hiking. I ALWAYS stop for them. Luckily I have had the time to take them to their destination. Yes, they might get a little lecture from me but I can rest easy knowing she got there safe.

Being on my own from a very young age, I have had my share of experiences. Once my car would not start. I HAD to get Aimee (first grade) to school and myself to work. (We lived 20 minutes from town, no $$ for taxi)

We hitch hiked but I decided to interview before we finally got into a car and see how they acted before I committed to a ride.. " I need to know if you are weird because my car wouldn't start this morning. I have to get my child to school and myself t o work. What is your name? Where do you live and why are you on the road right now?" He passed my intuition test and interview questions.

He kept laughing on the way, saying he had never met such a hitch hiking snob but was very happy I was taking my safety and my child's safety so seriously. I hated that day but i seriously had no other choice.

A few years ago, I was in my old car, a 1993 Volvo 240 wagon. I was driving home from work, it was cold and dark, and suddenly the car just stopped running. Fortunately I was not on the super highway, and I was able to coast to the side of the road safely, but I had no idea what was wrong. I had AAA and a cell phone, so I wouldn't have been completely stranded, but before I called anyone another old Volvo 240 pulled up behind me and a young man got out and asked me if I needed help. I told him what happened, and he said that it has happened to him, and it was the fuse to the fuel pump. He got out a flashlight and he had spare fuses and he found the problem and replaced the fuse. My car started right up and he went on his way. I always think of him as my Volvo Angel.

These stories are wonderful!

My Mom and I were visiting the tiny village of Mousehole in Cornwall earlier this year, and one Sunday afternoon we were at the bus stop attempting to figure out the timetable, which was not easy to decipher. An English woman strolled by and we asked her if she understood how the schedule worked, and she tried to make sense of it herself (to no avail). She asked us where we were trying to go, and we told her the next village - we needed to go to the shop there to buy some basic groceries. She said, "Well, I've got my car just right up the hill, if you don't mind the walk. I'll take you." We couldn't believe her kindness in offering to give us a ride, and we figured we would just find a taxi to bring us back after we'd done our shopping. We had a lovely visit with her on the way to our destination, and not only did the woman take us to the grocery store, she also waited while we shopped, then drove us back to the village where we were staying. We just couldn't believe that a complete stranger would take an hour out of her day to do something like that, and we kept thanking her profusely. She said that she had experienced many kindnesses in her life, and always tried to help others whenever she could.

We learned that she is a well-known author, her late husband was a famous Arctic explorer, and she holds the title of "Lady" to his "Lord." We are still in touch occasionally, and what a delightful way it was to meet her!

A couple of weeks ago on a Sun morning DH picked me up at the airport. Our rear tire blew on the way home on a busy parkway. A man in a minivan turned around and came back to ask us if we needed any help. We told him that, fortunately, we have AAA and they were already on their way. We thanked him for his thoughtfullness.

AAA arrived in about 15 min, so that was also very good. We were also fortunate it was during the day and was nice out. So many times we are going to the airport very early morning or DH is picking me up late.

The other day I was going to the campus Starbucks when a student at the front desk said he'll take a coffee. I asked him what he wanted and said I'd get it for him, but he declined.

I am so loving this thread. On my rarely used FB page, I have a pic that reads "If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction". Can't remember where I found it, but I sure try to live by it.

My life takes me into the city often, so when I cross the bridge (at least 2-3 times per week) to go in, I always pay the toll for the car behind me. The toll taker gives me that "you again?" look as if I've gone round the bend. I don't get it. It's just $5, not a huge deal, but random acts of kindness always make me happy! It's really more about how I feel after doing at least one daily. Random acts of kindness don't even need to cost you $$, give of your time, your thoughts or prayers, checking on an elderly/housebound family/friend/neighbor with a fresh baked item, easy peasy. Watching the smile is the payoff.

We do this randomly throughout the year. Several weeks ago a little old lady was in line ahead of us at the grocery store. She was carefully going through her change purse counting her money. While she was doing that DH looked at me and I nodded. He slipped money to the checkout girl to pay the bill. When the lady got her money all counted and handed it to the girl, she told her we had paid the bill. She thanked us and we told her to pay it forward sometime in some way. After we got out to the parking lot and were loading our groceries into our car, this same lady pulled up along side and said that she was on her way to church and would pray for us! We thanked her and told her that we could always use prayers!

I just sent my 'Thanksgiving blessing" yesterday~for $93, Meals on Wheels will deliver 5 meals to seniors who are house bound. Being i'm a senior, if circumstances had been different, *I* could have been one of those seniors. God bless them all!

This thread has inspired me to do something with one of the (many) scarves I've knitted since re-learning the craft. I often see a homeless woman on the streets in the city where I work. Her name is Mary. As we move into colder months, I think I'm going to wrap up one of the scarves and give it to Mary as a gift. I doubt she receives unexpected little things like that, and a scarf could do double duty in keeping her warm as she shelters in alleys. It's heartbreaking to see someone like that, but sometimes there's just not much a stranger can do to really help the Marys of the world in way that makes a huge difference. (I mean, I can't get her off the streets.) Still, a small gesture is a good thing, right?

" but sometimes there's just not much a stranger can do to really help the Marys of the world in way that makes a huge difference. (I mean, I can't get her off the streets.)"

Jen, you can't get her off the streets, but this gesture can mean the world to her. I think you're doing a wonderful thing.

My dad volunteered for Meals On Wheels until he was 94 (his death). He drove, he helped put the meals together, he delivered the meals. The best gift he gave was to spend time with each person who received the meals. Just five minutes of our time with a person who is alone most of the day can mean a world of difference.

btw I've seen RAOK on this forum many, many times. :-)