Good things you've done for others

With all the good people on here I'm sure everyone of you has done something to help someone out of a jam.
This is a thread about positive aspects in life, If you reply it won't be thought of as egotistical banter. Rather the opposite,
I'm sure I come off as gruff, but I'm like everyone else in the fact I like to hear positive stories about people helping others
when their down on their luck. In this day and age I still like to think people have a heart. Big help or small please post
your good deed, I think others would like to hear them also.

A man came across one of my fields at about 10 at night. I live ajacent to Interstate 840 in rual middle TN. I saw him when I took the garbage out. I went in the house and got my pistol. He kind of slunk up toward the house staying out of the light on the power pole. I stood in my garage and waited to see what he was up to. when he got up within 20 feet I told him to stop, that I was armed, and what did he want. His car was on the interstate with two flat tires and no spare. I had him stand still and called my freind to keep an eye on him and called my other freind who had a small repair/tire shop down the road. He came to the house and we went and checked out the strangers car. His wife and two kids were in it and it looked like they were living in their car. We got the tire sizes and went back to the tire shop. Picked out two used tires, went back to their car. Jacked it up and pulled the two flats. Went back to the tire shop and mounted the two tires, went back to their car and mounted the wheels/tires. Went back and got the stranger and took him back to his car and sent him on his way. I paid my freind with the tire shop for the two tires.

Well I'll start it then for the fact everyone seems bashful.

Sunday before Christmas I was in the grocery store picking up a Kentucky brand ham and turkey with certificate that the company bought for each management employee. When I got to the checkout stand
there was a older woman ahead of me that looked to be in her 80's, she had a meager amount of food and it was all the cheapest stuff, her clothes were clean but really worn. It was obvious she
was trying to get by on probably a very limited income. After I went through the check stand I quickly caught up to her and put both the ham and turkey in her cart and wished her a merry Christmas.
You see I all ready had planned on BBQ steaks I had bought for Christmas dinner.

Oldest daughter had a co-worker down her luck just before x-mas, single mom 2 kids just gettiing by and her vehicle broke down.
We got clothes and toys for the kids, daughters husband bought the parts and fixed her Jeep.

Ed

I'm a firm believer in paying it forward. I help out wherever I can when I see someone in need. I've changed tires at 1am, pulled cars from a ditch in a snowstorm, dug a grave for a neighbors dog, bought Christmas gifts for a single mom's child down on her luck, bought meals for military personnel and Vets, rendered first aid to accident victims I've happened upon, the list goes on and on. I've never accepted money for any of it, have just asked those I've helped to help other s if they are able in the future. I truly feel we all have been placed here to help others when we can.

Riding around in a service truck for 80 percent my life I have done so much for so many I cannot recall. Began to ask myself why I do this. Finally I started to share the good Samaritan story. Just ask people to pass it on and or go to church.
My wife has been mad as hell at me when I came in late sometimes. I never told her why just took the beating. There used to be other reasons for being late as well. Some were not so good.
I am reluctant to reply as are gifts not not supposed to be done so as the right hand does not know what the left is doing?
An older friend of mine shared a story I will share with you. His family owned an ag dealership in the 50's and 60's. He was the shop manager at 20 years of age. They picked up equipment at the port and brought it back in their selves.
One day he walked by the window between the parts and service counter. He heard a woman screaming thats him thats him. Said he looked and she was pointing at me. I had to walk around the door to the other side. Then I told them I do not know what she is talking about. She is crazy as h e l l. I have never seen that woman before in my life. No thats him thats him.
Ended up she had been broke down with two flat tires. The guys and him had helped her out. Her husband was a farmer and wrote a check for a new tractor. True story but never expect anything.
Do I have any regrets? Maybe for not being crystal clear with my wife but she did not approve if I hung out with the guys or was helping out the car load of ROTC kids with a flat tire and no lug wrench. Then their spare was flat.
I regret that I blew by a young girl hitch hiking on the side of the road. My wife was with me that day and we were covering ground. A large RV was lumbering along and no one would pass it. Began dropping back and running up on the crowd at speed to pass at every hill. Finally there was no on coming traffic and I was hammer down. As soon as I dropped back in there she was and I could see something in her eyes. It would be a really bad time to stand on the brakes and then there was no good place to turn around. That one is on me. Another five minutes probably would not have changed my life at all.
Do what you can when you can.

More than once I've stopped and whipped out the jack and impact to change a tire for someone waiting on AAA (for a few hours), Used the spare gas for my welder to gas them up, Once gave a woman and her 2 very young children a ride to a safe place to wait for her husband after her car broke down on 395 in 105* heat. Then got a buddy with a rollback to take the car to Spokane.
Just look people over carefully, A friend stopped to help a couple of guys once that bopped him and stole his pickup.

My grandparents and their parents lived through the Great Depression. They had very little but being machinists and blacksmiths did have some work and a few dollars, unlike many. Of course the stills brought in some extra cash also. Regardless, I'm told they also had a bit of extra food, if only bread and butter, for those in need. All his life my grandfather helped others however he could. The stories are endless. Many defy modern safety standards but everyone knew who they could count on when it hit the fan.

My father is the same and I remember many nights growing up working in someone’s basement to getting their plumbing or electrical straigtened out. 50 years later I figure we must have dug every well or septic on the street. Helped roof a mess of houses, pumped water out of most them and considering we have more stuff than the local hardware store, supplied enough bolts to assemble a car. Never asked a for a dime. Never wanted one.

Honestly, I don't keep track of it. Don't expect anything in return. It is just part of life.

I'm pretty much the same.
I will pretty much stop to help anyone on the side of the road.
When I was on the service truck I lost track of how many people I changed tires for, gave them some gas, oil or water. Used the company radio to call for police, ambulance or a tow truck.

We were working on a water pump on the side of a logging road one night. This young couple pull up in a minivan. They were so lost and scared. They thought they were going to be out all night. They were only 5 km from the highway but so freaked out we picked up everything and got them to follow us to the highway.

They all offer to pay but I tell them all the same thing. Just pay it forward and help someone else.

If I have a homeless person ask for money I ask if they are hungry, if they are I will buy them something to eat. I won't give them money, but food is something totally different.

I shovel my neighbors driveways all the time (when we get snow), most of them work and I have time.

I always offer to help any of my neighbors out, building fences, pruning trees.

I keep the wrenching down to a minimum with the neighbors, will get them going but anything big needs to go to one of the shops. Little things are fine.

I honestly don't think it is anything special. It is what my parents taught me and what I taught my kids.
You can call it what you want.
The right thing to do
Good Karma
What ever you want.
To me, it is just what you do.

I was out of province, visiting some friends. We were headed up to a lake that was a bit off the grid. They were going to camp there a day or 2, I was just sticking around for the afternoon. Since they were towing their travel trailer I decided to blow past them and carry on at my pace.

Come around a corner and spot a mother and 2 younger kids walking down the road. A few hundred feet behind them was a pickup parked on the side of the trail. We're a good 30k from pavement at this point and the road isn't the most well travelled so I stop. Turns out she's got a flat tire and no idea how to change it. She couldn't call for help since there's no cell service. I pull up to the truck and come to find she's missing the jack and lug wrench from the spare tire kit. The lug wrench from my kit wasn't the right size. As luck would have it, my buddy and his wife finally catch up and their truck is the same make and model as the woman's truck. He and I get cracking and swap her spare on in a matter of minutes and she's back on her way to the lake with her kids. We continued on to the campsite.

Steve Frazier said:

I'm a firm believer in paying it forward. I help out wherever I can when I see someone in need. I've changed tires at 1am, pulled cars from a ditch in a snowstorm, dug a grave for a neighbors dog, bought Christmas gifts for a single mom's child down on her luck, bought meals for military personnel and Vets, rendered first aid to accident victims I've happened upon, the list goes on and on. I've never accepted money for any of it, have just asked those I've helped to help other s if they are able in the future. I truly feel we all have been placed here to help others when we can.

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I would say that founding this forum and all the work it must take to keep it going has paid it forward in a huge way. The knowledge on here is beyond amazing. I can only imagine the countless hours and money that has been saved with the help of all who offer it here.

Thank you.

Well this one is from the opposite point of view.

My family had driven down from New York State for a cousin's wedding in Virginia Beach sometime in the mid to late 1960's. One the trip back not sure if it was fully intended but we took a bit of a detour that took us right through Washington DC and past the Capital.

While trying to get back on the highway dad was having some trouble finding his way. We apparently got into a section of town that was not normally visited by a white family from NY! Just then a big Cadillac convertible with top down with two black couples riding in it pulled up next to us. The driver yelled and motioned for dad to roll down his window. When the window was down the driver said "Hey NY are you guys lost?" Dad said "Kind of!" Caddy drive said "Follow us!" and took off.

Dad followed close behind and in a few blocks we were back on the Interstate heading north! A quick wave of thanks and our escort took off.

Just this morning I met up with my running club. After our 5k I'm driving out of the parking lot at the park and notice one of the other group members had the hood open on their car. Spun a u-turn and went back to see if they needed a boost. They were just topping off washer fluid but they were appreciative that I stopped to check on them. Would suck waiting for a tow truck at -10 and snowing.

I've done everything that each of you have mentioned above. For me, it's just being a decent Human Being. I love to make people smile or laugh, random acts of kindness every day. Just trying to show people that there are still good, kind people in this world. This forum, and all of you, proves to me that I am right. Good, kind people ready to help strangers in an instant. My kind of people!! Odd isn't it? Some of the finest people and best friends I will ever know are the people here that I may never meet. My faith in Humanity has been restored for today. Thanks Truck Shop, we all needed this... Chuck

These are all great stories, thanks for sharing.

My stories are generally the same, if I'm able to help out I do, as much as possible, without expecting anything back and I'll turn down any payment. If I stopped and helped it because I could not because I want something in return.

My latest stories of help have all revolved, for better or worse, around money. I run several production lines at a factory and know the plight of having a family with responsibilities and living check to check. I've had the opportunity to give or loan substantial amounts of money to folks that have needed it. For some I know it provided food for their family, for some it's helped cover some bills, for others it's helped take care of a plumbing emergency. While I'm not rich, by any means, I've been able to help out. I don't really like throwing money around but I know these guys well and it kills them a little to ask, and I could afford it, even if not paid back.

I find it amazing how much people are willing to help each other. I think if we all were more willing to help maybe we'd need less government to step in and mess it up.

One from years and years ago. I was working in a foreign car repair shop back in 1977 that was located a block from the sheriffs office and county jail. It was summer and a man walking by
stepped into the shop he was wearing a shirt with company logo of a national moving and storage company. He told a story how he got drunk and throwed in jail over night and the other driver
took off with all of his stuff in the truck and he had no money. He asked for some money promising to repay as soon as he got back home {Ohio}. I wasn't thrilled about giving him money
but I did. About four weeks went by and I got a envelope in the mail with twice of what I gave him. And a {thanks for helping a guy who was busted flat} his own words.

Sixteen years old and driving the old gas burners OTR; bull hauling and produce, 1951 to Army in 59. We always carried 8 feet of 5/8 heater hose under the seat so if running together one truck ran short, swap some to get to the fuel stop or the "cheap gas/big discount place".
Over the years I have no idea how much gas I gave away to cars on the side, hood up, wife and kids standing,
man walking away or they would say he had gone to try to get gas. 120 gallon saddle, pull along side and siphon
enough to get to gas, or if broke-filled it up.

Years pass. In 1979 I had started a forklift shop. Had an old Ford flatbed starter truck, with a side tank. Took off and did not notice it on seat tank, Made it to pickup. loaded, started back. Truck coughed and slowed. I switched to side, coughed again and quit. Forklift on board was gas. Checked tank. Nearly full. Needed 6 feet of hose to flow it down to my tank. No hose.
Farmer in old pickup pulled up. "You got troubles, Son? Yessir, need a piece of hose to get gas down.
He mulled it. I don't have any hose, but I do have 50 gallons and a pump in the tank in back.
Proceeded to pump me in plenty. Told him; it is only a mile to a station, and I have money. Naw, put
you in enough to get you to Tupelo (20 miles/at Wren, MS).

May take a lot of years, but it does come back around.....
Also, some of the "bad" or "failed" ones came back on me.
Karma works both ways.

I dont know..that old saying " No good deed goes unpunished" seems to haunt my thoughts...LOL...then you see people trying to do good and they end up dead or in deep legal doo doo.....

Hobbytime said:

I dont know..that old saying " No good deed goes unpunished" seems to haunt my thoughts...LOL...then you see people trying to do good and they end up dead or in deep legal doo doo.....

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Well I'm not superstitious, but I do believe what comes around goes around and some people just need enough rope to hang themselves because their too busy thinking up ways to manipulate
a situation they can't see the forest for the trees. And those usually get what's coming to them. Life sometimes has a way of catching up and backfiring at the most inopportune time, especially
for those who are grinding an ax. But for the innocent-well they deserve a help now and then.