The Random Acts of Kindness Thread

[Alisonchan]

The posts on this page of the thread have completely turned my day around. I'm very, very lucky to have you all as my friends. I feel proud to know such wonderful, upstanding people. *hugs everyone tightly, squooshing them into a big katamari ball*

[farthingale]

Thanks Don! Do I get a flag?

*curtsies to T2B* I have an emoticon chorus!

Alison -- you live every day towards the enrichment of the lives of others, so I must say that you have spurred on the efforts of others. As to this wonderful ball of ginger fluff, my heart wouldn't let me leave him out of my sight for a day longer on that big empty campus. If something had happened, I would have been bereft, because I have a sudden, intense and altogether surprising (to others, not myself) emotional reaction to cats. I feel at ease with them as a species in a way that makes me favour a stray cat's plight over a 'stray' humans. This is something Russell got angry with me about very early on while we were dating, but he soon learned that I wasn't open for debate on how my heart functions, so he left it. Hey wait -- how did I get here?

[Don Alexander]

Not a flag, but a medal!

[farthingale]

Yaaaay! I love heeeem!

[Alisonchan]

I would also like to say that I was especially touched by the decision of PFL and her husband to donate all of the toys they won to the women's shelter. That was an excellent and heartfelt idea.

[farthingale]

Good job! That was well-decent of you.

[Asaryu]

If I have learned anything over the last few days of travel, it's that when people are put upon and in horrible circumstances, they will sometimes do amazing things. They may not be amazing to the people who do them, but they are amazing to the people they touch.

When I was travelling i found so any of these people, it's the only thing that kept me sane during the times when I would have otherwise given up hope and simply put my head in my hands and cried (which I did do at one point).

First off, there were a small group of people on the flight from San Francisco to Washington DC. They had just gotten back from a multi-faith prayer meet for world peace and were on all their respective ways home. They got to the plane late, and everyone was grumpy and wouldn't talk to these new people, so I explained that they hadn't missed their flight, and that we had to just wait a while for it to get back. We struck up a conversation and we all ended up exchanging contact details. They asked me if I could go to Texas in August to do another meeting with them. I apologised and said that I had to go home by then and that it really would be out of my budget. But we talked and talked and I helped them where i could. I watched their bags for them when they went to get their tickets finalised, and I went with the lady to locate the bathrooms, and I helped the guy understand his phone better (and he found a message or two that he didn't know he had for a few weeks). These were all little things but they kept me in good spirits for the things that would come later.

When I got to Washington, I was kind of lonely until about 3.30pm. I was working on my assignment when this guy comes up next to me and sits down. We shared our little trauma stories of aeroplanes missed and flights cancelled. At this stage, he's been stuck in the airport for ages, and he's running late to bid on some property for his new company. He was an ex army man, and he had some pretty big opinions, but he didn't take himself too seriously, so we got along well.

Later, I met a lady who was an elementary school teacher, and we talked at the gates and found that we were waiting for the same plane. So we sat down together, and we talked a bit, and she was lovely. We were sitting across the aisle from another couple who were also from Maine, and on their way to Portland. When our plane was cancelled, we all trudged across to the customer service desk together to get new tickets, and we got along well at that point. There was a lady infront of us who was getting mighty bad tempered about the situation, and while she was within her rights to be grumpy, I don't think she should have sworn and carried on quite so much as she did when there were kids about. We grinned and bore it, and when we got to the desk we all ended up going our pepperate ways. The Lady from the elementary school loaned me her phone and I called midge and let him know that I was not going to be there tonight, and that I didn't know what was going to happen to me in the long run. And when I got my tickets, I used the payphone to call and let him know that I should be in Portland in the morning.

We all went our seperate ways again, as you do in airports when things like this happen and everyone needs to go somewhere. I stayed at the airport, since I didn't know my way around, and i didn't want to miss my flight at 6.30 by going to a hotel and sleeping too long. The lovely couple went to a hotel, and the elementary school teacher ended up staying the night with her daughters mother-in-law. We wished each other luck and went away. A few hours later, I see my loud American in the line looking harrassed. His flight got cancelled as well. So we've both been stuck in the airport overnight. He manages to get me a blanket, and we find a spot and hunker up for the night. I can't sleep for whatever reason, so I check the flight boards to see if my morning flight is up yet. It's not. The rest of the flights are, but this one isn't. I manage to get my laptop internet working (which had been a significant struggle at times) and I check my flight online to see what's going on. It's been cancelled. This is where I put my head in my hands and cried a bit. The man i was with cheered me up by being silly. I think he was uncomfortable with tears, and that's fair enough. He told me that even though there wasn't anyone physically here, that I should call United and complain. I called and I kept getting to a voice recording telling me i should write them an email or a letter cos they don't take complaints by phone. He had better luck on his cell phone, and after he had finished getting his flights organised, he gave the phone to me and let me talk to the chap on the phone, who managed to get me a flight to Boston. If it hadn't been for James, my loud American, I think i would have given up, and I might still be in that airport crying and lost and wandering the terminals. The staff were unhelpful and disinterested, and it was late and it was the end of their shift, so I can understand why they didn't have a lot of motivation to help, but I felt like I was in a foreign country and the only nice people were the strangers.

Later on, James and I ended up in the same terminal waiting for our flights, and when the amenities finally re opened we both went to a small shop and refuelled our systems with water and candy. Neither of us had eaten for almost a full day, and so neither of us could stomach a meal or even a snack, but we could eat a small peice of candy and at least get some sugars into our system to keep us going. Then the couple who went off to a hotel ended up coming along, and we all chatted. I told them my night in the airport, and they told me about their night in the hotel (which was vastly less stressful). Then I hugged James goodbye as he trundled off with his carry-on and his walking stick (he was ex-army and hurt his back in Iraq). I think the couple felt sorry on behalf of the whole country that I was having such a hard time trying to get anywhere. We chatted and talked and they said they were catching the train or bus to Portland, and I found us some timetables for them online, and they said thank you, and from that point they more or less adopted me till we got to Portland. We went to our seats for our short journey on the plane ( I felt more elation at leaving Washington DC than I felt any emotion at leaving Sydney), and i was right up the front at the exit, so i was first off the plane when it landed in Boston. I went out and waited for the couple, since we were going to catch the train/bus together. They wouldn't let me help pay the taxi fare to the train station, and then they wouldn't let me pay for my train ticket to Portland either. On the train they invited me to come and visit them while I'm over here, and gave me their number and address, and I gave them mine and my email address.

I hugged them both hard when we got to the train station, since I couldn't let these little kindnesses go without letting them know that it was entirely appreciated and that they had been wonderful to me. Hugs are my only way of really being able to show my feelings, so I hugged them both and said thankyou so many times. And then I got in the car with Midge's mother and we came home via Olive Garden ( I had soup and it was exactly what my oh so empty tummy needed) I made conversation for a little while then came up to the incredible room they had prepared me, and I tried to work, but ended up falling asleep and being woken up by Ugo.

I think in the end, this is the effect of the little kindnesses we can do every day. I was done some incredible kindnesses, and i did a few of my own for others as well. But good people attract good people, and we all ended up where we wanted to go and being happy in each others company for it. And after the stressful journey I had, I think if I hadn't had the kindness of these otherwise strangers, I would have given up and I don't know where I'd be right now.

[Don Alexander]

I actually tearded up reading this story!!!! *sniffle*

If it hadn't been for James, my loud American, I think i would have given up, and I might still be in that airport crying and lost and wandering the terminals.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

and from that point they more or less adopted me till we got to Portland.

That is so wonderful!

I am feeling SO much better now!!! Thank you, Asaryu!!

I was also very happy to keep you a bit of company virtually during your airport ordeal! Yay intarwebz!!!

PS.: I really hope you will be able to visit you new adoptive parents!

[Alisonchan]

*GETS ALL MISTY AND HUGGLY* ToT

[farthingale]

WHoop, WHoop! Adventures in personality-land!

[Don Alexander]

RAOK 1: Assumed full duties at Open House Day, despite getting zero recompense.

RAOK 2: Am partially responsible in last days for getting Teach to smile again (much credit also goes to others, especially, I think, Xar).

RAOK 3: Lent listening ear to other forumite troubles.

[Otaku201]

Not random, extensively planned out as a matter of fact, but irrefutably helpful and promoting of happiness. I couldn't count the number of smiles I saw today if my life depended on it. Today I had the the honor of introducing a group of people to shooting. My specialty is working with those who have never even held a real gun, let alone fired one, but are curious. More people showed up to the family range than ever before, I counted about 80 people.

[Dirty n Evil]

@ Otaku - making people smile is always a good thing. Hooray for smiles!

@ T2B - Ack, I missed the mention of your abandoned neighbor's dog... that's horribly sad! Still, it's good to hear your father is starting to look after it, with possible intentions of taking them in.

@ Asaryu - that was actually an incredibly moving story. As rough and difficult as your trip was, it sounds like you were exceptionally fortunate in meeting the people you did. I'm glad they were there for you and helped you get where you were going.

[Projection_Tenjen]

.

RAOK 2: Am partially responsible in last days for getting Teach to smile again (much credit also goes to others, especially, I think, Xar).

Thank you :3.

I avoided stepping on some ants in the house and when i saw they couldnt get a piece of rice into their colony entrance hole, i took it, cut it up and put it in the whole. They took it.

[Alisonchan]

Oh my goggles. I did the same thing yesterday with a piece of kitty kibble! XD HOW BIZARRE!