Random Acts of Kindness

[pterodactyl]

(Previously posted in the wrong place)!!!
I am going to encourage my son & the young people I work with to do random acts of kindness for people (without their knowledge)
e.g. Leaving the �1 coin in the supermarker trolley slot for the next person to find
Has anyone got any other ideas?

[ELVIS68]

Nice idea,but if someone finds a pound in the trolley surely they`ll think it`s an act of forgetfulness rather than kindness

If that`s the case,what`s the point.?...wouldn`t it be better to give the pound to charity?

[Drisgirl]

I always give my parking ticket to the person who is waiting for my space -thats if Ive only used maybe 10 minutes of it.

I have also had the same done to me and it was a kind act.

I dont think it necessarily should be monetary -if I see some old body who is struggling I either stop the car or go accross to ask if they are OK and if they need a wee help.

I also always stop and wave people across the road if they have stepped off the kerb.

Most important I always have a wee chat in the passing to people in the supermarket and they always respond -for all I know that might be the only chat they have all day.BTW -its just passing remarks but it doent cost to just be friendly.

[curlyperm]

hey drisgirl, i used to always give my parking ticket to someone if there was loads of time left, and once i did and the bloke in the car (probably NORMANTHEDOG) said 'No!! i dont want your ticket i will happily pay for my own! and its people like me who try to buck the system blah blah blah.............. ' so........never bothered again. Anyway now you have to tap your registration number in before you get your ticket? Looks like i'll have to think of something else heheheheh

[enigma]

I recently had a situation where as I was waiting to cross the road at the traffic lights , a woman in her fifties caught my eye as she walked up the path towards me. She was covered in mud down one side of her body and her hair and face were also covered in mud. She asked me for directions on how to get to Hamilton and when I told her that she would need to go to East Kilbride bus station in the town centre first , she looked shocked because she didn't even know that that's where she was and said that the driver had given her the wrong information about what bus to get. She then went on to explain how she had fallen , trying to take a shortcut across some grass and had got covered in mud. She looked mortified and shaken so I gave her my all day bus ticket and told her which bus to get to the bus staion. I then gave her a few pounds for the bus to Hamilton as it's a different bus operator and the all day ticket would be invalid there. She thanked me and hugged me , saying that I was so kind and headed off.

I knew deep down that the chances were that she was heading to the nearest shop to buy a couple of cans and she didn't disappoint me - she headed to the shop across from the bus stop but as far as I was concerned , I had given her money in good faith to try to get her home safely. What I got out of this though was my nine year old daughter looked up at me full of so much pride and said to me "Wow mum you are so kind. When I grow up I want to be just like you. You're my hero" So for a few quid I became my daughter's hero for a day. A small price to pay.

My mum always said to me "A giving hand never wants" and I try to live by that. I teach my kids that kind acts are always rewarded on one level or another.

[Drisgirl]

Well Enigma -I salute you as even although your suspicions were right -you didnt sit in judgement of the poor soul plus you showed yor daughter a good example.Funny my kids are the same now and they are up.They wouldnt pass a poor soul in the street -even if its just to give them a fag.Obv the big cities are different as you have professional beggars so my son does shy away from them.My daughter even gets people chapping on her kitchen window and asking for a cup of Tea and she gives them the cup out of the window and has a blether with them -bless her -the cup gets binned BTW but still she doesnt see them stuck.
I have been approached by a family member of friends and asked for money just so they could get the 'bus' to see their mum
I have dished out a few pound here and there because I always think -Im not encouraging you because you would get the money by hook or by crook and also there but for the grace of God go I..

I think we as a society sit too often in judgement -I know that poor guys family history -he's only young.I have been lucky -he lost his Dad and his Mum (he forgets when he asks me|) to addictions.Its genetic with him.

Anyway Im sorry cos I got waylaid there -I didnt realise you had to put your Reg No in -whats the point -youve already paid for the bleeding ticket.Tell you -they have you all ways !!!

[muppeteer]

try folding the pound into a little note saying enjoy- have a nice day! & then the finder will know its a little act of kindness & feel fuzzy for the day.
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[winny]

You know I think if if is without their knowledge then the young people wont get the satisfaction of knowing they have done some good.
I reckon a compliment is as good as anything. No one compliments anymore. We all complain about bad service but do we say thankyou for good service. Compliment mothers on childrens good behaviour, A big smile and hold a door, Speak to the person on the seat next door,
I went into a shop and told the owner how lovely his hanging baskets were outside. He said thankyou but you could tell he was shocked someone had bothered to comment.
I reckon a big smile is addictive and you usually get one back once the person has stopped frowning and wondering why you are smiling.
The parking ticket thing is a good one. Some people are so shocked you would do that. I always thought it was just a nice thing to do.

[pterodactyl]

It's so nice to hear that there are some kind people out here and it looks like people are already practising random acts of kindness everywhere
I'm trying to show the young people that I work with that life is not just about "random cruelties and senseless acts of violence" but also about caring for other people. I also wanted them to think about doing things for people without anything being in for themselves (hence the anonymity).
ELVIS68...have you never found a pound and got a buzz from it, even tho' it's only a small amount & someone may have forgotten? It's about making someone else feel good...even if it's only for a brief moment.
Thank you all for your replies :o)

[ELVIS68]

No, Ive never got a buzz from finding a pound, my first thoughts are some poor old dear has lost it.

btw, thanks for the 3 stars for suggesting giving it to charity

[pterodactyl]

Sorry Elvis....didn't mean to upset you but what if an old dear found the pound in the trolley? Wouldn't that be ok?
I wasn't specifically looking for ideas involving money....that was just an example but maybe should have thought of something else instead.

[Tha-Flash]

I handed some gym gloves in today, think someone lost them cos they were just lying there.

I have done more but can't really remember.