Sure is a lot of imbalance in the world

[EULACHON]

Last night my wife and I went to the dollar store to look for a mesh bag for my anchor rope, after reading some posts about it I thought I would look at the cheap ones and if I did not like it I could always splurge for the expensive one.

So I find a bag (a red one) and sure enough 1.00 !!

As I am looking over the laundry bags I become aware of a guy probably my age (mid 40's) who is having a condumdrome over something in the food isle, by the looks of his cloths he is homeless.

As I watch him I become acutely aware of the fact that they have raised the price on Viena Sausage and he does not have enough money to buy ONE can (.50)

Now I retired a couple years ago but still enjoy a lifestyle where I can buy a new kicker (or a 35.00 anchor rope bag) if I want one.

So I wander over to him and he is mumbleing to himself about he only had .45 so I pull my wallet out and hand him a couple dollars no words were exchanged just a couple bucks he grabbed a couple cans and gave me that look and headed for the register.

In a world where movie stars make millions of dollars and BLOW it on 100,000 Bentleys of several million dollar houses it seems kinda sad that this guy needed a nickle so he could eat (I'm guessing) his only meal for the day.

Pretty sad

I know a lot of homeless (want) to be that way but I am sure that a lot of them do not.

I know that a lot of them are drugies or drunks but they are still people.

Anyway think of that the next time you dump 100.00 worth of gas in the ol sled for a day of FUN on the river.

I do not generly give people money like that but something just said DO IT.

I sure am glad I live in the land of plenty.

I sure am glad I have a warm bed and a big stupid dog.

Sure seems like when we throw out food by the ton and the goverment has BILLIONS of your money to fight wars we would be able to do SOMETHING to help this problem.

Sorry for the downer post but really made me think.....I have dropped nickles in my driveway and been to busy to pick them up.

Sometimes I think there is really something wrong with the way things are done in this country

I almost cried all the way home.

Paul

[Cool Texan]

Way to pay it forward...good for you.

[Tagster]

That was a good thing you did.

[Cloud-Nine]

Give a man a fish and he has food for the day. Teach him how to fish and he has food for life.
Dick

[alaskan]

Good for you, Karma will pay you back.

We had a similar situation last week. A girl that my wife goes to school with was crying and when she asked what was wrong, the gal told my wife that she had no food at home and her kids were hungry.
My wife called me and I filled some grocery bags and took them to her, and put some money in so she could buy milk and bread.
It really made me stop and think of how good we have it, sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but we do.

[RODACTION]

Good on you Paul, things like that are needed in our world.

I see so many inbalances, of many kinds, they can be heart breaking.

It is also very easy to judge, but we don't always know the whole story.

[Flat Lander]

Sounds like you bought a 3 dollar bag. Good on you

[Queeg]

IMbalance.

It's great to commit random acts of kindness.

The highlight of my Christmas was setting up a donated computer for a single mom and high school kid --- the donation didn't include a printer, so I took a trip to Fry's

[RODACTION]

Originally Posted by alaskan

Good for you, Karma will pay you back.

We had a similar situation last week. A girl that my wife goes to school with was crying and when she asked what was wrong, the gal told my wife that she had no food at home and her kids were hungry.
My wife called me and I filled some grocery bags and took them to her, and put some money in so she could buy milk and bread.
It really made me stop and think of how good we have it, sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but we do.

That reminds me of a 4th grade classmate of my daugters 3 Christmas' ago.

2 days before Christmas this girl was crying in class, the teacher asked her what was wrong. The girl told the teacher that her dad was in jail, her mom was ill and they had no xmas tree, food or presents for her brother and younger sister. (all of the other classmates talking of xmas fun brought this on)

The teacher called all of the parents to seek donations to the cause, everyone pulled together, I think the total $$ was $600.00. The teacher and some parents went to purchase a tree, presents and food.

All was delivered to the home, the tree was set up and the there were many tears of joy, my wife was there to see the mother of the little girl cry.

[Angler of Repose]

Good for you, Paul, and thanks for your kindness.

[3riversBob]

Sorry for the downer post but really made me think

I guess I looked at your post differently. Hardly a downer, rather uplifting to know that there are still kind, caring people out there. Good for you!

I'm hardly a well off person but at this point of my life I am able to buy what ever fishing gear I want, get the bills paid (on time, and in full) eat dinner out, go to the movies and enjoy myself. I know so many that are less fortunate and find my self helping where I can.

My daughter has a friend in Idaho that was abandoned by her husband, works a minimun wage job and has three littles children. Before Christmas I gave my daughter a gift card to send her, to a big chain store that I knew they had where the girl lives so that she could at least buy food and a few things for the kids. My daughter told me her friend called, in tears, she was so happy. I myself had a few tears and I felt so good being able to help someone.

Thanks for the post, it's a great reminder for us all to 'pay it forward' if we can.

Bob

[byebyeducky]

Good for you! That is the way I like to help the poor. Shelter and food. Money for a guy on the street corner is dangerous, not knowing where it will be spent.

This last Christmas I convinced all of my coworkers that rather than doing a gift exchange we would get a wish list from the Shelter kids and each get one of them a gift. It felt great. We got the greatest thankyou cards too.

I hate gift exchanges anyway, I think most Americans have a greedy mentality about Christmas. It is for Family time and helping the needy. Gifts are for children and the poor. Cards and words are for Love and appreciation.

[Just_learning]

Originally Posted by EULACHON

I know that a lot of them are drugies or drunks but they are still people.

Good on you. I think we all lose sight of that.

[skein]

I've been on both sides of the coin.

When I was young, and we were living on a homestead in Alaska, my dad had a heart attack and suddenly, at the age of 16 I was the sole support for a family of five. I found a job that I could work before school and another job that I could work after school, but a kid just doesn't make much money. We survived, but I can tell you those were hard, hard times. I still remember the Thanksgiving when the Lion's Club left a box of food on the doorstep, and for Christmas going around to the toy stores and picking up some broken and returned toys and fixing 'em up for my little brother and sister. Add in a little 50* below zero and the need for firewood and you have a pretty good picture of how I spent my time.

What I learned was I had the ability (and I think we all do) to "rise to the occasion," but sometimes we just have trouble doing it all alone. Now that I'm rich -- no, not necessarily wealthy -- but rich beyond anything I ever thought possible, I don't want to forget those times. Maybe there's a "life test" of what we do when our back is to the wall, and what we do when it isn't.

PS. I read the entire Iliad to my dad while he was in the hospital. We had a great time being Greeks and Trojans and Heros...

Skein

[GSD]

I would think your pile of KARMA would be overflowing with all your good deeds! I recall this posting of yours from last December:

"Took a little trip today up to the ?? river and while checking a popular driftboat pullout I became anoyed as my lab went to pee on everthing.....one of the things was this nice Honda 10 HP."

And then you made sure the owner got it back!

Good on you EULACHON! AGAIN!!!

William {GSD}

[matttheduck]

you did good - and right. the only way problems like this get solved is person-to-person. all the money you generously donated to this guy will be used by him to better his own life. none of it will be raked off for someone else's salary, or fundraising expenses, or lobbying, or simply wasted in some bureaucracy. tomorrow, maybe they'll be another caring american with another $2. or, maybe, your generosity will make a light bulb go off in his head, and he will begin to change his life.

[Swift Fly Guy]

Thank you for sharing this with us. I'll bet you have moved several of us here to think of your kindness and look to give to someone in need, Thank you..

[Costalot]

This brought memories of this last Christmas. I got a call from a young couple the dad had got laid off the first of the month. They did have money for Christmas if they paid the rent. No money for a tree or presents for the two kids.
Now I am not even there father nor even close to it. I got them a fake tree with lights and envelope with enough cash in it to have Christmas for the kids and them self’s.
Karma has gone full circle now and I feel good.

[wishin]

Paul,

There is a lot to think about from your story. Almost a modern day parable. Thanks for the reminder about what is important in life.

Mike

[Irish Pennant]

You did a good thing
don't knock this country down. there are a lot of government services available for people that are in need and there are a lot of private institutions that also help. this country is one of the most generous that has ever existed and it is full of people just like yourself, decent and caring. There is imbalance and sometimes it's ugly to see it, yet there are a million untold stories of people who were able to turn their lives around and be a testament to this country and its people.

[TheRogue]

You did a good thing.

Honestly, working in downtown PDX, I guess it's made me very jaded. I wouldn't give someone like that a single penny....but I have been known to give away food and/or clothing to people. That way I know it's much more likely they use the food or shelter...rather than spending it on the next fix or drink.

A few years ago, I was in Phoenix AZ, coming back to the motel from a HUGE dinner at Papaduex. I had a very big "doggie-box" with me. At the off-ramp, a very scary looking fella was standing at the bottom. Pulled up to him at the light, handed him the box. Boy did his eyes light up!!

TR

[Rainman]

During my 4 years in the US Navy, I got to travel to places in this big wonderful world of ours that made me realize just how lucky we have it to be born in the USA.
I remember feeling sorry for myself because my monthly salary was only about $400 a month. Then I got to the Phillipines, where so many of those people didn't even make $400 per YEAR.
Many of them lived in total squalor, with not even running water inside their apartment(which many times had a dirt floor).
Most Americans won't travel outside of the USA and see for themselves just how good we have it here in America.
Too bad.

[Abalone]

Rainman: You said it Exaclty. If you think you have it rough here try it somewhere else. Most americans live better then 90% of the people then have ever been alive, better then Kings.

[Walleyer]

Hooray for you,there is hope for humanity

[tnj8222]

thats awesome. i applaud everybody that shared a story, and the ones that didnt share.

[IDWITHELD]

Originally Posted by EULACHON

I know that a lot of them are drugies or drunks but they are still people.

Paul

Even drugies need to eat. Such kindness is in short supply these days. Kudos to you.

[Riverbankslayer]

Great Job Paul

[EULACHON]

Thanks for the adda boys but I really was not looking for that.

My point is this guy needed a nickle to get his ONLY meal for the day.....a nickle.

I think this is a great country and all but I just think it's wrong when P Diddy (Or what ever his name is) can sport 30,000 ear ring and this guy needs a nickle for a can of vienna sausage.

You try and eat a can of those a day......

Seems wrong.

But thanks for the adda boys and remeber that we are all in this together.

Paul

[Flying Roast Beef]

It's funny how people react to things though. I remember getting off the freeway on the way home from a dove hunt once and this fellow was there with his sign. "will work for food" is what it said. I just happened to have an apple sitting in the front of the truck so I rolled down the window and handed it to him just as the light turned green. As I was going down the street the apple exploded off of my back window. I guess he wasn't that hungry after all. It was an impulse thing for me and I thought I was being nice.

[retiredgal]

Originally Posted by Flying Roast Beef

It's funny how people react to things though. I remember getting off the freeway on the way home from a dove hunt once and this fellow was there with his sign. "will work for food" is what it said. I just happened to have an apple sitting in the front of the truck so I rolled down the window and handed it to him just as the light turned green. As I was going down the street the apple exploded off of my back window. I guess he wasn't that hungry after all. It was an impulse thing for me and I thought I was being nice.

I bet that got you? Wow! If I know someone honestly needs help, I will help them if I can. People on the corner with cardboard signs, a fat dog, and grubby apperance make me think "Scam".
Need food and down on your luck, we'll give you a bag of food. House burn down, we'll find some clothes and household stuff for you. Starting out in life, we'll see what we can spare to help you? Begging? Forget it!