Sunday, November 30, 2008

Finally, it has happened


Even before the movie Pay it Forward came out I made up my mind to do good deeds for other people.
It was a goal of mine to give somebody some help with something at least once every day. In that way, I could make some sort of a difference in this world.
A good deed can be anything from jump starting somebodies car, to taking out their trash or any other number of things.
One day a man was struggling to load plywood in his truck with a heavy wind in his face and he looked shocked when I came up and just started helping him out.
I don't think he even bothered with a thank you. But, that doesn't really matter because I am going to go ahead and do the right thing.

However, having said that, there still lurks in the back of my mind that I had always thought that by doing this not only would I be helping others first hand but would help create an attitude of kindness in people that would spread into other's lives and I'd see an affect.
Not so much.
I can't tell you how many times I have been in a parking lot of a place like Lowe's and to be struggling with heavy things only to see healthy people walk by without a single thought of anything but themselves.
Again, I am telling myself that it doesn't matter and I will continue with my mission.

But, finally, after so many years, the unthinkable has happened.

The other night, I was having to install a water heater. Easy enough project, but it was getting late and I was in a hurry to finish so I could go home.
I had a water heater on a dolly in one hand and a bunch of tools to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Well, I went over a curb and the water heater which was still in the box from the factory fell over.
I went ahead and left it in the parking lot and took my tools to the old water heater space. When I looked again, there was a man that I had never seen before picking up the water heater. I wasn't sure at first what he was up to, if maybe he might be trying to steal it or whatever. He was no thief, but was instead helping me and said that I had my hands full when I dropped it.
I thanked him more than a few times and now I am more dedicated to my mission than ever. There are still good people out there.

Today, as you are going about your life, please look for opportunities to help somebody out. You never know what kind of difference you might make in somebodies life.

1 comment:

Alice said...

Good story! Women have to be a little more careful about helping strangers, but i believe this is a great philosophy of life and try to do it myself when I can.