Fighting back! The kd challenge!

[killerdwarf]

While reading through the Dawson School shooting thread here:

https://www.buffy-boards.com/showthread.php?t=26802

I got to thinking...it's one thing to decry the selfishness that seems to be increasing in our society; it is another to actually do something about it. Dzhugashvili is right, we are a selfish, self-centered bunch. So, to actually move from the realm of complainer to that of doing something about it, I'm putting out a challenge: Start doing things that are NOT self-centered, and for your own gain. This is a bit like the "pay it forward/ random acts of kindness" kind of thing, but not even that conscious. We need to do things for others...small things that are just...helpful, or nice. And we have to tell others what they are, and encourage them to do similar things. Thus, this thread.

I'll start:

I was driving yesterday, and noticed that the car in front of me had a burned out tail light. I pulled up beside the car, and noticed that the window on my side was open, so I gestured to the driver, and told him his light was burned out. He gave me the thumbs-up, a "thanks" and a big smile, and off he went. It wasn't earth shattering; it wasn't a cure for cancer; it was just something he'd want to know.

I'm not wanting to send BB members out into the world with their Boy or Girl Scout hats on, looking to fix stuff on purpose. I just want everyone to do something helpful or nice for someone. You don't have to go out of your way. You don't have to fix their car, weed their garden or anything like that...all you have to do is hold a door open for someone with an arm full of packages...or say thank you when someone does that for you. If we want civility to make a comeback, WE have to do it, not someone else. So...go forth and be helpful...don't look for it, just do what you can when the occasion arises. It's the KD challenge!

Oh, and a quick note...NOT choking the shit out of someone who richly deserves it doesn't qualify...while I'll admire your restraint, I think for this to work you have to actually DO something, not avoid doing something! This isn't a contest...there will be no prizes, but there will be rep given. I'm being a bit idealistic and naive here, but sometimes that is just what everyone needs...

We'll save the world...one deed at a time!

 

[What happened to good TV?]

well I did something helpful today! (before I saw this thread I might add) and I didn't search for it1 the opportunity just arose right in front of me.

A woman with a pram and a dog was walking infront of me and one of those baby bottles with milk in, i forget what they're called, fell outta the pram and into the road. it was on a steep bridge. with the dog in one hand and the pram in the other she didnt have enough hands to retreive the bottle that was near to destruction as it fell further into the busy road.

however help was at hand from the magnificant moi. I retrieved the bottle (after checking the traffic was non exsistent) and gave it to the woman. she thanked me and i smiled.

And that my friends was me being helpful 😛

 

[teentitan]

I think this is a great thread KD. I myself regularly hold doors open for women, and seniors. I say thank you to waitress' and store clerks or whoever serves me and 99% of the time I smile and I get a smile back. I help fix neighbourhood kids bikes and remind them to wear their protective gear. Regularly check up on my neighbours across the street who are in their mid 80's to make sure they are ok and can knock on my door at anytime of the day if they need help.
Does staring down the neighbourhood punks to stop them from picking on the smaller kids count as doing something nice?

 

[killerdwarf]

Does staring down the neighbourhood punks to stop them from picking on the smaller kids count as doing something nice?

Well, you actually DID something, and it made someone feel good (the smaller kids), so I'd say this qualifies!

As I said, you don't have to go out of your way, just do whatever you can when the opportunity presents itself. I don't want to change anyone's character, or anything like that, and I wouldn't want anyone to feel obligated to be a goody-two-shoes...just be nice to people when you have a chance to. And stare 'em down if they deserve it!😉

 

[Frenchy Faith]

I'm not wanting to send BB members out into the world with their Boy or Girl Scout hats on, looking to fix stuff on purpose.

What's wrong with Girl Scout hats? :silly: hehe

Not a deed really... but rather something that I know works...
Smile at people, in the street, in the tube /underground, in the bus, in a waiting room... anywhere... just smile at them now and then, when you feel like it, and it may greatly brighten their day... some people may think you're a weirdo, so what? are you ever going to see them again? and for the people who won't think you're a weirdo... then they'll be happy to have received that smile, it doesnt cost you anything but it gives a lot (there is a poem about it actually)... it's free, and it's worth more than a lot of material things...

And if you're actually not too shy, even better... a nice word, to anyone, a stranger, a friend...
I was walking down the street one day (3 years ago), looking pretty down I guess because I had got some bad news... and this guy (with a dog) walked past me and smiled saying "hey, you gotta smile a little", it was totally unexpected, and he just kept on walking, just looking back at me once with still this big smile on his face... well guess what... it's been 3 years, I don't know who this guy was and I've never seen him again... but I still remember him vividly, and he totally brightened my dark day...

Words can have such an impact, so don't hesitate to use them for good when you feel like it :biggrin:

Oh and I found the poem if anyone cares:

A SMILE

It cost nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash and the memory of it lasts forever.

None are so rich they can get along without it and none so poor but are richer for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away!

If someone is to tired to give you a smile, leave one of yours.

For, nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none to give.

-----Anonymous

 

[killerdwarf]

... some people may think you're a weirdo, so what?

So right! A little harmless "weirdo" is something that'll make you smile!

I saw a young lady the other day, walking down the street with her MP3 on. She had a bounce in her step, and she randomly grabbed a tree and swung around it. She was obviously in a great mood, with her tunes on, on a splendid warm day...and didn't care how cool she looked! Made me smile...🙂

And we often underestimate the value of a smile from a stranger...unless we are stalkers...in which case we OVERestimate the value of a smile...😉

Jill_Valentine agrees: Shiny eyed optimist, as ever.

Yeah, some things don't change no matter how long you are away!😉 Welcome back, JV!

 

[Faith]

My parents and I were on our way home in the car today and we saw an old lady on the doorstep of her home covered in blood.

We went back and stopped and helped her into the house, cleaned her up and called an ambulence to check on her incase she had head injuries.

- Went back to check this evening and she is fine.

 

[Jill_Valentine]

Yeah, some things don't change no matter how long you are away!😉

Good to know. 😀


I think I might have accidentally become a Trade Unionist this week, does that count?

EDIT: Actually no, that looks a bit lame next to the posts above. Um... carry on.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I did something crappy the other day, I know this thread is about good things but here's my crappy:

I got onto the bus the other day, sat down and totally zoned out, you know where your eyes are open your looking straight ahead but you don't see or notice anything. Anyway I was like this the whole time and the bus begins to fill up and people are standing up cuz there's no seats. And an older women with down syndrome gets on and has to stand as their is no seats, I didn't notice as I was totally in a daze, but after a few minuets the girl beside me (I was on the outside, she was on the inside of the seat) gets up and I move my legs to let her out, wakening me up from my daze, and she tells the women she can sit down, I looked up and notice for the first time, and moved in so the women could sit down easily.

But I felt so bad that I hadn't noticed and gotten up, It must have looked really bad on my behalf!!

And people suck, no one else bothered to get up, and I doubt everyone sitting downstairs was in a daze. But I know it wasn't really my fault but I still felt awful!

 

[Schillaci]

The moral of your story, bud, is to not use public transport.

You could argue that my stories aren't good deeds, however if you take into account the fact that I put myself into a position whereby it is easy to mock me, just to make people laugh. 🙄

This is actually from a couple of months ago..

I don't know who they were, or what you call them, but there was some religious people at MY town centre at the war memorial monument reading aloud from a bible. They were pretty much ignored. On the Wednesday I just walked passed them. On the Thursday I stopped for a moment to hear what they were saying. On the Friday I stopped and talked to them for a minute. Then I grabbed the Bible out his hand and jumped onto the wall surrounding the monument. With as pompous voice as I could muster, I started reading scriptures. With dramatic hand gestures, my own little commentary and sufficient 'ohs' and 'ahs' added in for affect. They didn't seem particularly amused but it drew smiles and giggles from passers by.

Last week, same place in town..(it's a hot spot for morons - Ignore that I was there!!!). Two "girls" were having one hell of a screaming match. One was pregnant, the other was about 15, though she was a big girl.😉 When it subsided and most of the crowd dispersed, I offered my advice to the younger girl. 🙄

After asking if she was ok, I mentioned that she should sell tickets next time. Her friends thought it was funny... she clearly didn't appreciate my comment, or the condescending way in which I offered it.

Same day, later on. Shopgirl. She wasn't a model but she was fairly pretty. She just had one hell of a sour expression. Anyway long story short I started singing at her. I should stop doing that, I really can't sing and I've been informed that it's deleterious to the hearing of anyone around. I sung this "When I fall in love...," pause,"I will sing much better." The other shopgirl smiled, sour girl just looked at me.

 

[killerdwarf]

I think I might have accidentally become a Trade Unionist this week, does that count?

Well, unions do good work at times. Having been a union member for most of my adult life, I know they can stand for some things I don't agree with, mostly to do with the politics of our country. On the other hand, they do organize lots of events for charities, etc...so, it's like a tool - you can use it to build, or destroy...you choose!

But I felt so bad that I hadn't noticed and gotten up, It must have looked really bad on my behalf!!

And people suck, no one else bothered to get up, and I doubt everyone sitting downstairs was in a daze. But I know it wasn't really my fault but I still felt awful!

See, you would have gotten up if you'd noticed. That's the key here. We all know what the right thing to do is (or we should know...I'm not conviced everyone was taught what right and wrong are). I'm just advocating doing the "right " thing when the opportunity arises. Not "every time". Just when you can. Even a smile at the right time will help, as FF reminded us! A more civil society is what we need, and we have to do it ourselves.

After asking if she was ok, I mentioned that she should sell tickets next time. Her friends thought it was funny... she clearly didn't appreciate my comment, or the condescending way in which I offered it.

LOL! You can try as you might to convince us of your oppositional mindset...it won't work. The telling words here are After asking if she was ok...your humanity is showing, dude!😉

 

[SlayersDestiny]

Mine is from August. I was going to the grocery store when I noticed an elderly man (in his 80's) standing on the side of the road, his vehicle had broken down. I couldnt stop because of traffic but when I got to the store (about a block away) there was an officer getting ready to pull out of parking lot. I told him what happened up the road and asked if he would stop and check on the man. When I left to go home, I noticed that the officer was sitting on the grass with the man, I guess waiting with him for someone to come. I went back to the store and bought some water for them, the heat was in the 90's. By the time I got back a tow truck was there and someone from the mans family, I gave the officer and the gentleman the water, thanked the officer for staying and went home.


Thank you KD for starting this thread, not so we can get karma but to see that compassion and humanity arent lost in this day and age.

 

[Frenchy Faith]

Ok, so in relation to this thread... today I found the sweetest thing ever that this guy started... it's called the Free Hug Campaign... check this out :silly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

 

[Ladybug]

FF! That's where I got my usertitle a while back... I love that video, so sweet 🙂

 

[Frenchy Faith]

FF! That's where I got my usertitle a while back... I love that video, so sweet 🙂

Really? Well that's really cool... I would like to do that at some point... I may work on it for around xmas time... it's the time when you wanna convey the most some love around I think :silly:

 

[Black Eye Guy]

That's actualy a really cool video, but I'm not sure what the petition was for? Was it to be allowed to hug in the places they got banned from?

 

[Jill_Valentine]

Donated blood today. I like it, gives me the fuzzy glow of civic contribution, and leaves me free to pierce what I will in the future. Not that I plan on piercing anything in the near future, I just like having that freedom. The blood clinic has a little canteen overlooking O’Connell Street, you can watch all of Dublin mill by. Today was a gorgeous Autumn day too. So I got my little drink, and my little packet of “Sorry-we-took-your-blood” bickies, and sat down to enjoy the full benefits of bloodloss light-headedness and read the new Runaways/ Avengers. I’ve never had any bother after giving blood, except for horrible junkie bruising on my arms, and I like to keep my karma topped up.

I was now in a Vaughan-y mood, so I walked around to the nifty little comic shop on Crow Street, 3rd Place to pick up Y: The Last Man, since I'd heard so much good stuff from my fellow b-Boardsters.

The dude behind the counter politely stepped by me to go to the door, and I mooched around looking at the nifty Spawn statues, nerd that I am. I was working my way through the alphabet to the Y section when all of a sudden my skull got smaller and my vision faded off into the far, far distance. Curiously unconcerned about this, even though I was now blind and losing altitude at an alarming rate, I made a last ditch attempt for my Y. I remember hitting the deck, and then I remember sitting on a box trying to explain to Comic Book Dude that I’d just given blood, as though that made buckling onto his floor a perfectly reasonable exercise for a Monday afternoon. I was too semi-conscious to appreciate his reply (“Just how much blood did you give?!?”) at the time, but I did appreciate the seat, glass of water and, yes indeed, hot chocolate the good folks at 3rd Place supplied. Cheers for not making me feel like a tool even though I was some pasty randomer literally swooning in your comic shop. Hurrah for them.

As if I had dignity left to be salvaged, I left as soon as my legs would listen to me, and jumped into a taxi home. Turns out I hadn’t stopped bleeding. There was blood soaked through the dressing, blood running down my arm, blood soaked all up my jacket sleeve. I cleaned my arm and, Christ, the blood kept coming. Now slightly concerned, and seriously considering the possibility that the blood clinic people had opened up something important and left it open, I did the only sensible thing and went to sleep on the couch.

Evidently I didn’t bleed to death in the meantime, although there’s now blood on the couch too, but my arm has finally stopped bleeding. I probably will give blood again, but I intend to make extra sure my contribution ends at the clinic.

And yes, I did get my Y: The Last Man, and it is indeed as good as you guys keep saying. 😀

 

[goldenboy]

Wow, so you got to feel good (for awhile), the comic shop people got to feel good, helping out a stranger. Unfortunately, major blood loss...

Hope you're feeling better. You could turn that incident into a really strange indie comic book tale.

 

[killerdwarf]

I installed a ceiling fan for some friends of the family a couple weeks ago. The husband has cancer (treatable, thank God), and the chemo has really taken it out of him or else he would have done it himself. Had to run a new circuit, go into the attic, etc (6 hours of work...). I didn't want any money, but they told me they insisted, and I didn't want to insult them...so I charged them parts + $35 and didn't show them the bill...So, I got paid, and I'm not sure if this will qualify for my own thread...I'm so confused...😉