Random Acts of Kindness

[AZK]

Today is National RAK Day! Have you ever been the recipient, or better yet, a giver, of a RAK? One that stand out for me: someone in the drive-through at McDonald's paid for my meal a year or so ago. That had never happened to me before so I was quite surprised. I know lots of little things happen all the time, as they should. Shouldn't every day be RAK day?

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I actually have been. I just made a page about this story (for another site). I was driving home from the lake many, many years ago and it was extremely hot and back then, I didn't have AC. My year-old son was sound asleep in his car seat, and I was fighting drowsiness. I noticed a semi following closely behind me and he wouldn't get off my tail. I was getting annoyed, and he started motioning for me to pull over. I found a rest park and pulled into it. He came over to my car and I was really scared by now. He said he had been following me because he suspected I had fallen asleep. I was weaving a bit and being a trucker, he knew the signs. I got my son out and the three of us sat on a picnic table in the shade and he got us some cold water from his truck. He stayed with us until he was convinced that I was awake, then followed me for as long as he could. When he finally got to his turn, he waved and honked and we both went on our ways. He took time out of his trucking schedule to help a woman and her child. Looking back, this is SO frightening!

 

[scribler]

I’ve been the recipient twice. The first time was several years ago. I was in line getting popcorn at Target. The person behind me paid for it. Didn't cost much but it made my day. The other time was probably within the last year when someone covered my groceries. It was between $20 and $30. I have no idea why but just blew me away.

David and I kind of did one today. (Not sure it counts as random.) Today, Amazon left a small package at my door that was not for me. It wasn’t even addressed to me. It was addressed to the intended recipient. They have the same street number as us but rather than living on SW North Street Name, they live on SW South Street Name. It is only about a four minute drive from here, so we took it to them. They were very pleasantly surprised.

(BTW, Amazon does not return for miss delivered packages. You can either give it to the person for whom it was intended, like a neighbor , or keep the contents for yourself. They didn’t even ask me who it was for to determine the contents before telling me I could keep it.)

 

[faerywings]

I have a few that were given to me and since I don't know if the gifters want to be "outed" I am going to keep their names private. But just know that in the years I have been at the O, I have had several amazing women here share RAKS with me and I treasure them in my heart.

I can't financially give RAKS but I try to do small things to make others' days brighter, "just because." Letting people go in front of me while waiting in line, helping someone reach an item on a shelf, (this is amusing since I am typically just as short as the person trying to reach it, but I am better able to climb on the bottom shelf to reach higher *G*)

 

[AZK]

@Cherylndesigns Your story reminds me of something that happened to me many years ago when my muffler started to fall off my car on my way home from work. I had to pull over in a very bad part of town; 4 men in a car stopped and pulled the muffler off for me, threw it in my trunk so I could resume driving, and went on their way. This was before there were cell phones and I felt so vulnerable, but it was also a lesson in not judging others by appearances alone.

@scribler Those are wonderful examples, especially since they were in person. I'm shy enough that I would prefer to be anonymous if I were to pay for someone like that, instead of doing it face-to-face.

@faerywings Your "just because" stories are what I like to hear! Those little things should be normal instead of noteworthy!

 

[Cherylndesigns]

@Cherylndesigns Your story reminds me of something that happened to me many years ago when my muffler started to fall off my car on my way home from work. I had to pull over in a very bad part of town; 4 men in a car stopped and pulled the muffler off for me, threw it in my trunk so I could resume driving, and went on their way. This was before there were cell phones and I felt so vulnerable, but it was also a lesson in not judging others by appearances alone.

@scribler Those are wonderful examples, especially since they were in person. I'm shy enough that I would prefer to be anonymous if I were to pay for someone like that, instead of doing it face-to-face.

@faerywings Your "just because" stories are what I like to hear! Those little things should be normal instead of noteworthy!

Right, Angie. Mine happened before cell phones and any other type of communication, too. We were completely helpless back then, weren't we? Today, I would have my phone + for the past several years, I've carried something I could hopefully defend myself with. I took a self defense class years later and the instructor told all of us to go buy one of those long, heavy flashlights like the policemen carry. He said you could shine the light in somebody's eyes, first, to disorient them, but worse case, knock them out with it - I carry one under my front seat to this day.

 

[felis]

someone in the drive-through at McDonald's paid for my meal a year or so ago.

Oh, did you mean without to want to have lunch with you?

helping someone reach an item on a shelf,

Again, isn't this that every gentleman usually do?! I have many of that, as I'm a tiny person and got lots of these shopping helpers.

 

[felis]

I don't think I ever will be generous with human been again. We have these people that make a living by collecting things and recycle or repair them for a second hand market. We was supporting one family with clothes and cosmetics and started to talk with them. You should never do that mistake!
Suddenly the daughter found housekeeping work at my neighbors. On the first day there she ask me for coffee and I gave to her. Every day during that week she was coming back at her lunch break for coffee. One day she was asking for coffee and onion. On another for coffee and bread. Then coffee and tomatoes. At that day I wasn't in mood and told her that I'll not give her anything today (except bottle of water, because it was extremely hot day), AND she made huge scandal. She was screaming scolds so the whole street to can hear.
During our talks she was non stop complaining from her bosses. And the wife had to fire her after a few days because she was flirting with the husband. But for that week and little, I was very frustrated.

Funny but we still donate clothes to her mother. They aren't in amity now, so I don't see reason mother to suffer because of her daughter's duplicity.

 

[AZK]

@felis That sounds like a horrible experience! I agree, there are far too many people in the world who try to take advantage of the kindness of others; it almost sounds like this person had some psychological issues. But I also think that is the reason that the RAK idea exists; to spread around some positive energy into the world, hopefully to drown out the negative.

Oh, did you mean without to want to have lunch with you?

That's right. The idea is to do something nice for someone without asking for or expecting thanks.