.
Rufus
I had a similar experience with an Afghan refugee back in 2002. Abdul had to escape the Taliban and had left his family behind. He was uni educated and articulate. I would speak to him daily at work (I was the only one as most were wary of him due to 9/11) and he told me his "story". I offered him 50 bucks per week to help him get his family out but he refused. He wished to do it himself. He worked hard in a manual labouring job and 12 months later his family was here. Moral it's your actions that count, not the result. Even moral support helps in a big way I feel. Be the Rufus.
I cleaned up Clarissa's apartment this night. It was supposed to be a two hour job, but the apartment was in shambles and loaded with clutter. Hence, I decided to work a half hour for free to do the bathroom, scrubbing the gunk off of the tiles and shower doors. She ended up falling asleep on the couch while I did the extra work, so I didn't tell her about it either (she may have felt guilty and insisted on tipping me if I did, plus she worked hard as a nurse and was pooped. I didn't want to rouse her up).
I would do it again.
When I was much younger, back in the teen years, I ran with a kid who had the propensity to get himself in trouble. Some of it was his own doing, other times it was just that people thought he did those things, including drinking and drugs (which he didn’t do). He was a very bright kid who also had a troubled home life. His father ended up sending him to a drug and alcohol rehab center upstate. He attempted to run away/escape 12 times but was caught 12 times. Finally he made it back home and ended up at his father’s sister’s house who promptly called his father and sent him back upstate. He escaped again and ended up on my parents’ doorstep and they fortunately took him in. They made sure he got an education at a private school. They didn’t have to do this but they did. He subsequently went to college, earned a PhD in physics and did some very interesting research things with the US Navy and then onto a professorship.
Without the support and kindness of my parents and his willingness to persevere, he likely would have never found much success or happiness in his life. Do good things for others as your kindness and generosity may have long reaching positive effects (your negativity or being too much trouble to get involved can also have long term effects) that can make a world of difference to someone. Don’t let that opportunity pass by.
I was scouring the streets looking for discarded cans and bottles to turn into cash, when I came across a can of Natural Ice on a bench that was situated right in front of a Gristedes. There was a backpack and paper bag next to it, giving me the hunch that this belonged to a hobo who, currently, was nowhere to be found. I picked up the can, double checked to see if anyone was there to claim it, and then dumped the 1/3rd warm beer remaining inside before going into the store to cash my empty containers.
Inside, I notice the very hobo whose Natural Ice I had just dumped. I knew he would not be happy to see his beer missing, even if it was heated up and no longer fizzy, so after I cashed my bottles, I went to the beer section and got a new Natural Ice to buy for him. I approach him with the can, saying, "Here, this is for you"
No thanks, man. I already have a beer right here he says, holding up an allagash can he just bought. I retort.
"I insist, I just dumped your other Natural Ice outside, thinking it was abandoned".
He sighed and begrudgingly said to me before taking the can. Why did you go and do that? Damn it...
And so, he now had a brand new, cold Natural Ice to drink from, using up half the money I made through bottle refunds to pay up for my mistake.
The other day I was in town running errands. I stopped at the grocery for some essential food supplies. On the way back out I was stopped by an old guy with about three front teeth and a cane asking me for 2 euros so that he could buy some food. I am usually suspicious of such people as I think they tend to purchase booze instead of food. I checked my pockets and no change. I looked in my wallet for a five note but found none, only a ten, twenty and a fifty. I couldn’t tell him I had no money, so I handed him the ten note and asked him to buy food instead of booze, which of course he agreed to. I don’t often hand money to others, and the few times I do, it is with whatever pocket change I have and I usually get a polite thank you. In this case, I have never experienced such gratitude and heart felt thankyous from somebody who I had given money.
Saved an elderly taxi driver from being bashed and robbed last month. I made this StS entity cry with my words alone. A fine outcome for this parolee. BTW my surname is Reid and latinised it translates to RUFUS, google it.
I am so very proud of us all mate. Each and every one of us. Blessings