What was your Good deed for the day?

Monocrom

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So mine took place less two hours ago. I got done with the weekly shopping. There was a big guy on the line, having issues with his card. Let's just say I can relate. But he pays for his clearly weekly groceries while venting about the morons who keep screwing around with his card. Mind you, he's just chatting with the cashier (another guy) about what he'd like to do to said morons. He's not shouting, he's not yelling, no four-letter expletives are coming out of his mouth. Just venting.... as the cashier hands him bag after bag of groceries.

Well, all of a sudden, the young mother behind him pipes up that he needs to watch his surroundings when he decides to open his mouth; because she's there with her very young son. He didn't initially get upset. Simply asked her if what he was saying was wrong. For context, he really didn't get graphic at all with what he wanted to do to those morons who screwed with his card. Then she tells him she's covering up her son's ears because he doesn't need to hear his idiotic ideas....

Okay, so whose ready for the show to begin? I sure as heck wasn't. Everyone there was caught off-guard by what this sad excuse for a mother just said. Why in the world would you poke the angry bear (whose not angry at you) with the sharpest stick you can find, and poke him as hard as you can? One, I can guarantee you her young son has seen far more graphic content on TV and the internet than what this guy said he wanted to do to the morons screwing with his card. Guaranteed! So trying to protect her son from words, she put herself in physical danger. Again, verbal vs. physical. No clue what she was thinking! Slight argument ensues. I decided it was time to do the right thing before this escalated even further.

No, I did not step in to protect her. Modern day and age, I'm nobody's White Knight. I believe in actual equality, while realizing that physically; the average woman is no threat to the average man. "Mom" kept running her mouth. Won't lie to make myself look good, I honestly didn't care about her one wit. Literally impossible for me to care less about her well-being. Act like a worthless low-life, I don't care what happens to you. Her young little boy; yeah, that's a different story. There was literally no confrontation between me and the angry Big man. That would have just escalated things even worse. Let's just say, he was a bag short for his groceries from the ones he clearly brought from home (different logos than the Key-Food re-usable bags). I noticed the shortage, and bought a bag. He was glad to have it. He started walking away with the cart towards the parking lot.

Unfortunately she didn't know when to quit. Told him he was lucky her son was with her. He stopped walking. Turned around and asked her just what was it she planned on actually, physically doing to him if her son wasn't there? Then, and I'll never forget these words before he turned around and left.... "Look at me, look at you. I could break you in half if I wanted to. Watch your mouth!"

Of course, you guys know she didn't. Insults and expletives spewed from her mouth as he just very casually walked out the door with his shopping. Hmm.... apparently it's okay for her to verbally assault her son's ears with much worse language than the Big guy used. Okay....

Yeah, so my good deed was preventing physical violence from breaking out at the check-out lane. By not being outwardly confrontational. Mind taken off of the sad excuse for a mom by buying a single bag when it was genuinely needed. A quick distraction. Didn't last too long, but calmed things down on one side to prevent escalation. Honestly, considering that's his mom; I legit feel sorry for that little boy.

So, what's your good deed for the day. Post examples below.
 

Poppy

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Dec 20, 2012
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Northern New Jersey
I have a ride on mower with a bagger. Today, I rode around and mowed my front yard lawn. Primarily to pick up the fallen leaves. Not only did I do my lawn, but also a portion of my neighbor's lawns. One side was only grass, but the other side was grass and leaves.

I have enough plastic trash cans to collect my grass and leaves, but to also do my neighbors, I need to buy paper bags. I used two of the ten that I bought.

They are both appreciative.

Yesterday, I held the door open for a man who was exiting a pizza parlor with both hands full.

Today, I responded to this thread of self aggrandizement.
 

Dave_H

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 3, 2009
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Ottawa Ont. Canada
Several weeks ago I "rescued" two very nice wood-frame chairs, plus a matching office chair, from the curb. They were placed outside prior to waste pickup day, but nobody wanted them. Any later in the day, they would have been rained on, later taken to landfill. I carried them home a few blocks, one at a time. I figure these chairs originally cost a few hundred dollars, and were in very good condition.

Today a friend of the family with a van picked them up, to be taken to an agency which helps people in need. Some of these agencies now ask for a photo of the item emailed to them prior to drop-off or pickup (some do), unfortunately some people donate rubbish which is not usable.

Recently I spotted an old Northern Telecom desk dial phone (500 set) waiting sadly to be hauled off. I grabbed it, tested it and it worked fine. Many people still have landlines. No call display on this one but it works when the power goes out (power comes from the telco). I ended up giving it away, otherwise would have gone to Value Village or Salvation Army thrift store (people will buy them).

I'm dismayed by the amount of useful items and material which goes to the dump, with a little effort could be diverted to further use. A person could spend all day searching out, collecting, cleaning up and redirecting these items, and hardly put a dent in things; this is the affluent society.

Dave
 

Dave_H

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Ottawa Ont. Canada
Several years ago in line at a convenience store I saw an old guy drop a $20 bill on the floor and a young lad pick it up, tap the guy on the shoulder to tell him. The old guy thanked him and said "for being so honest you keep it". 👍
Last week a new cashier at a "dollar" store gave me more change than was due. Granted only 55 cents more but I handed it back. I would like just the right amount of change.

On that note, I like to humour the cashiers, it makes their job less difficult. I've been known to point at some bananas saying "I hope these are the certified tarantula-free ones". Most of them get it, and usually laugh. Or "hopefully these are not the dreaded Killer Tomatoes", referring to the 1978 low-budget comedy/horror movie. But, don't distract them too much, that's when errors get made, both ways.

Dave
 

Monocrom

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NYC
I do good deeds from time to time but don't like talking about it. I'll brag on others in a second though.
Perhaps if it were a few decades ago, I could see what you mean by bragging. But nowadays it's more like letting others know that not everyone is miserable, selfish, only out for themselves, and will happily screw over each other if given the opportunity to do so. Not about bragging. It's about letting others know that faith in humanity still exists.

I'll give you a perfect example, regarding an earlier post of yours. I was at a neighborhood drug store a few years ago. Saw the elderly lady who was in front of me on the line, hanging out by the doors; checking something in her purse. I had just finished paying for my items. Noticed her turn and leave. She dropped a bill. I immediately go over, and realize it's a $20 bill. As I'm picking it up, she returns, looks down and in a loud and angry voice says, "Hey, that's mine!"

I immediately replied that I know that, saw you drop it, and was about to bring it out to you before you went too far. Her demeanor changed, instantly! Now it became, "Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you." As, I handed her the bill she had dropped. But how nice of her to just immediately assume I was an opportunist thief. :rolleyes:
 

TPA

Enlightened
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Aug 26, 2005
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Florida
I'd encourage everyone to try to make someone's day. You never know when the most basic thing (to you) means the world to someone else. Just a random positive comment to a stranger may change someone's life. I know it has in mine.
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
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Aug 11, 2003
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id eat them all my self i love that stuff and spaghettios with franks or meatballs
 

bykfixer

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Aug 9, 2015
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Dust in the Wind
I tripped up a little old lady crossing the street, stole a crutch from a crippled boy and for good measure dumped used motor oil into a nearby stream. In other words I voted straight Republican across the ballot.
How's that for good deeds?

Nah, seriously I drove 200 miles to deliver a laptop to a coworker who'd left it in the office and needed it.
 

jtr1962

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Nov 22, 2003
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Flushing, NY
I do good deeds from time to time but don't like talking about it. I'll brag on others in a second though.
That's just it. If a person does something solely for recognition I question their motives. For example, we sometimes give awards to volunteers. A person who is truly in the spirit of doing good would be insulted by that. I love when we have concerts to get people to donate to a cause. I question the motives of both the people donating, and those giving the concert. You want to do something, just do it. If the person you're helping thanks you that should be enough, but don't even expect that.
 

jtr1962

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Nov 22, 2003
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Flushing, NY
I'm dismayed by the amount of useful items and material which goes to the dump, with a little effort could be diverted to further use. A person could spend all day searching out, collecting, cleaning up and redirecting these items, and hardly put a dent in things; this is the affluent society.
So am I. About a decade ago I got three perfectly good laser printers which were put by the curb. Before I had much money I got most of my PC upgrades from the curb also. Sometimes I just used to pull stuff like RAM, instead of taking the entire thing. Now with electronics needing to be bought in for recycling there's not much good stuff by the curb.

If you don't need devices which are still working, it should be just as easy to have someone find a home for them as it is to throw them away. The wealthy especially throw away lots of barely used stuff. Unfortunately, more than once I saw them smashing stuff they put by the curb. I remember one item was an Apple laptop that looked like it was hardly used. I was actually going to take it home. I asked the person who destroyed it why not just leave it alone so someone who might need it could take it? His response: "Let them work and buy it the same as I did." Same mentality as the people who lit cigarettes with $100 bills during the Great Depression.
 
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