When our S was in 9th or 10th grade, when peer pressure is so strong, he was with a bunch of his friends in his friend’s basement. His friend’s sister, 3 years younger, just got a new outfit and went down to the base,net to show it off. All the “cool guys” started making fun of her as boys can do and she started crying. Then my S interrupted all the catcalls amd said, “Don’t pay attention to these guys - you look really great. Cool color too”. My S has never mentioned the incident. I found out about it when the mom called me to tell me how our S saved her daughter’s feelings. I was so proud of him doing what was right and kind instead of going with the flow.
This thread is awesome. A few of the more recent posts have left me teary…
Can we please keep this thread positive? If you want to start a People Suck thread, feel free. Otherwise, cut it out.
Thanks, MoD. We started with the lovely ways we’ve been surprised by favors done for us.
I’ve been lucky enough to be the recipient of some of the goodness over the years, but wanted to share a more recent story involving my daughter.
Last year, she was coming home for Thanksgiving with a friend when the friend’s car broke down on a rural two-lane highway. Within a few minutes, an older couple pulled up beside them and asked if they needed help. They drove the girls back to their house, let them use the phone to call AAA and their parents, then gave them some snacks. They sat with them for two hours and drove them back to the car when the tow truck came. Instead of taking them to the nearest repair place, the tow truck driver took them to a garage 100 miles closer to home so my wife could go over and pick them up.
We are thankful for the kindness of strangers and do our best to pay it forward.
“Thanks, MoD. We started with the lovely ways we’ve been surprised by favors done for us.”
Ah yes, but one situation often relates to another, doesn’t it? We often don’t take that additional leap to help someone, because of past experiences or preconceived ideas that the person who is asking for help is a druggie, or a bum.
I had made another post about how a woman had returned my cellphone, and refused the $300 reward. Her kindness really touched and surprised me. As I was driving off, with a stack of $20 bills that she had refused, I saw a guy with a sign asking for money, in the usual spot off the freeway. There is always some homeless guy there, with a sign about how he’s a veteran, God Bless, etc (while smoking a cigarette near a pile of beer bottles), so I always just drive past. It never seems like someone other than a druggie or an alcoholic. But something about this guy just seemed authentic to me, so I pulled over and gave him a $20. The kindness of that woman had those $20 bills burning a hole in my pocket.
As I drove off, I saw his family sitting behind the bushes, a couple of kids and a woman, all huddled together in the cold. I wish I’d given him more.
Sometimes we get so jaded by people trying to scam us, that we can’t even see the people with true need. It can be hard to tell the difference.
During Superstorm Sandy, there were people up and down streets near my father’s house who had extension cords out to their curbs, with signs that said “please charge your cell phone here”. Only some of us had generators, and with the lines at the gas station, even some with generators ran out of gas and therefore power.
I also remember my grandmother’s fire department would have a list of elderly residents, including her, to call daily, just to check on them. This was even though she lived with my uncle because he would go to work on weekdays.
I like to assume people are basically good. And I teach my kids to believe that. I have to say there isn’t enough attention paid to good stories in the papers, like the guys who stopped the massacre on the train in France.
I really don’t have far to look - even keeping it within College Comfidential is easy! I mentioned my recent cancer surgery, and I got PMs wishing me well. I was particularly touched by the notes from @bjkmom and @jym626. And just look at the thread for posters “In loco parentis - Do you live near a school?” People willing to help kids they don’t know, just necause they need helping.
The number of good people in this world far, far outweigh the bad, and always will.
“I really don’t have far to look - even keeping it within College Confidential is easy! I mentioned my recent cancer surgery, and I got PMs wishing me well”
You know what might be a nice thread, if there wasn’t one already, is the nicest things done for others on this forum, by people on cc. I remember hearing about oldfort buying a cc poster some shoes for an interview, it was really touching.
I hope your cancer surgery went well. I hadn’t realized you’d gone through that.
Thank you, @hayden. That is very much appreciated. And I hope you are doing well.
@busdriver11 There was a thread like that, where cc’ers talked about nice things other cc’ers have done, but I am not sure I can find it. What’s funny is, many of us have completely different personas on cc than in real life.
I’ve probably shared some of these on CC before:
A few years ago, my sister had cancer and lost her hair due to chemo. She had a wig, but usually just wore a bandana in the summer because the wig was hot/itchy. A couple times when she was eating alone (she is single) in a restaurant, she went to pay her bill and found that it had already been paid by some unknown person.
Once, when I was in Dollar Tree on Christmas Eve, a young girl walking by handed me an envelope and said “Merry Christmas.” I thought it was just a Christmas card or religious tract. A few minutes later I opened it and found $100 bill! (I passed it on to someone more in need. My kids teased me for “looking homeless.”)
When I was young, we had a very good neighbor who used to take my sibs and me on bike rides, to get ice cream, sledding, to watch movies, etc. He was an engineering professor (who had 3 sons of his own) and he took us to his university lab, and helped us build those model rockets that you blast off in the backyard (probably illegal now. . .) This wasn’t all the time, but just a couple times a year he did these special activities with us. He was a mentor to a couple of my brothers who became engineers. I didn’t realize it at the time–I thought he just enjoyed our company and these fun outings–but he probably pitied us because there were 7 of us, and one of my brothers is severely handicapped. My parents were so overwhelmed with taking care of my brother that they rarely did anything with the rest of us. Anyway, having this nice neighbor gave us some happy memories of these ordinary childhood outings, and had a big influence on my brothers’ careers, too.
I was an introverted nerd in high school. Every year a club had a fundraiser for “sweetest day” when people would send different colored carnations to their friends–each color meant something, like red for love, white for friendship, etc. Of course the popular kids and those who had boyfriends/girlfriends would get bunches of them–delivered during homeroom, so everyone could see. I never got a single one for three years. My senior year, someone sent me a “secret admirer” flower. I never found out who it was from. (I suspected my sister, her boyfriend, a teacher?) Even if it was from a bully making fun of me, I still remember how happy I was to get that one yellow carnation.
“@busdriver11 There was a thread like that, where cc’ers talked about nice things other cc’ers have done, but I am not sure I can find it. What’s funny is, many of us have completely different personas on cc than in real life”
You know, I’ll bet that’s where I read the story about oldfort’s kindness! I probably even posted on it, but don’t remember. In fact, sometimes I wonder how often I’ve repeated a story, or asked the same stupid question. Was it the first time, or the twentieth time I’ve said something? At least I know when my kids roll their eyes, but my friend are more polite.
It does make you wonder about personas, whether they are the same as on cc, or completely different. I used to think that many posters were male, until I realized that unless they very specifically mentioned their age/sex, almost everybody on here is a middle aged woman!
“I was an introverted nerd in high school. Every year a club had a fundraiser for “sweetest day” when people would send different colored carnations to their friends–each color meant something, like red for love, white for friendship, etc. Of course the popular kids and those who had boyfriends/girlfriends would get bunches of them–delivered during homeroom, so everyone could see. I never got a single one for three years. My senior year, someone sent me a “secret admirer” flower. I never found out who it was from. (I suspected my sister, her boyfriend, a teacher?) Even if it was from a bully making fun of me, I still remember how happy I was to get that one yellow carnation”
I really like this story. I guess I could say I understand exactly how you felt, though I never let that kind of thing bother me. I was not an introverted nerd, but an introverted, skinny, poor kid. What did yellow mean?
You never know, it could have been from another shy person who really liked you. 
And in the “you never know how you’ll touch someone” category…
When I was in junior high I had a friend I hung out with. Normal stuff, never thought much about it. We lost touch when we went to different high schools. Years later, she found me and told me that my friendship meant so much to her in junior high. Apparently she felt like “the fat kid with no friends”… Really?! I never even imagined that!
Over Christmas I found a significant amount ($100s of dollars) of cash on a counter at a local drugstore. I offered it to the store manager, who wanted nothing to do with it I guess afraid that he would be accused of stealing the money. Fortunately, there was a slip from a check cashing place down the street so I went there. I asked if they could find the owner, and thought I was trying to scam them or something. Finally, I said “Look, I am trying to GIVE you a pile of money. All I want to know is if you can find who it belongs to based on the slip.” Sure enough, they pulled up an image of a paycheck and called the lady it belonged to.
What amazed me in all of this, was how much folks thought I was trying to scam/steal the money. Could not believe I sincerely did not want it.
@busdriver11 I think it would be fun to share our visions of each other (nice ones, of course!). For instance, I picture you as a tall brunette, who is very fit and active. For awhile, before I realized you were female, I couldn’t read your name without picturing a middle aged balding male bus driver!
@HImom is a tiny, sweet Hawaiian lady who loves to travel, but even more so loves to be with family at home.
Maybe I’m off…but those are just two mental pics in my mind
Oh, now, that’s funny, shellz! I know my name does make me sound like a dude who drives a school bus, but actually I’m a middle aged woman who drives an Airbus. Not brunette and particularly tall, not feeling too fit after all those Christmas cookies, but blonde and perpetually wearing coffee stained athletic wear. Which, I might add, is the norm for Seattle!
Hmm, wonder why I sound balding?
Hey, that’s how I picture HImom, too!
On the day after Christmas my husband left his MacBook at the mall Verizon store and it was still there when he got back an hour later.
I too had the drive off and leave your money and passport bag in a foreign country (Germany) experience, also to come back and find how relieved the people who found it were to see us.
Last week I bought some gift cards at the grocery and left them there. The next day I got them back from the store safe!
I’ve actually had a lot of this type of thing and it always gives me a thrill!
I don’t know–does 5’5" qualify as tiny? I’m not Hawaiian, as that is a race, tho I have lived in HI all my life except for 6 years when away at school.
Okay, I guess that was a bit off, HImom, but you are sweet and love to travel! And love to be with your family at home.