So, I was at my local grocery store today.

[OAITW r.2.0]

Last edited Tue Feb 22, 2022, 11:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Had to pop in to get some essentials...potatoes, onions, and a bottle of wine.

At checkout there were 2 cashier's on. One line had a couple of large orders to process, so I went to the '15 items or less' checkout. In front of me were 2 people, a middle aged woman and what I assumed might be her mother. The older lady tried a couple of cards that didn't work and then she started rummaging through her pocketbook trying to find the cash to pay. This went on for about 5 minutes. The line behind me was growing...

So I glanced up at the register screen and saw the bill was $37.52. I asked the lady....would you mind if I paid this for you? She was pretty taken aback, but was very appreciative. After they departed, the cashier says, that was a nice thing to do. I said, I can always use some positive karma points. Got a chuckle from the guy.

Anyways, it really kind of made my day a little better.

[MerryHolidays]

1. That was exceedingly kind of you nt

[leftieNanner]

2. How very generous of you!

DU is populated with kind people.

The benefit and karma you received is worth much more than $37.52.

Well done.

[Joinfortmill]

3. Awesome

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Amazing what the value of a single good deed does for people, doesn't it?

It makes their day and of course yours go well. Take care!

[Lovie777]

5. K & R . . .

[a kennedy]

6. ♥️ ♥️ ♥️

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Leading by example. . . nt

[peacefreak2.0]

8. You're a good egg.

[FakeNoose]

9. That was a kindly gesture

When I feel like doing a kindly gesture, I offer someone behind me in line to go ahead of me in the checkout. It's usually when they only have a couple things in hand.

[Hortensis]

79. Me too. Another common one is acting as if I have all

the time in the world (which I effectively most often do now that I'm retired), unconcernedly browsing merchandise at the checkout stand, whatever, not noticing while the person being checked struggles with coupons, getting payment approved, etc.

If I ever get religious, I'll choose one with a diety who watches and gives points but doesn't actually require much of us.

[MOMFUDSKI]

10. Good on you

Consider it as paying SOMETHING SOMEBODY DID FOR YOU forward. You made it a better world today.

[niyad]

11. Thank you. This has brought a warm smile. DU'ers really are the best.

[orleans]

12. nicely done. class act. nt

[gademocrat7]

13. K&R!

[highplainsdem]

14. Good for you! What an incredibly nice thing to do! And not only have you made

more than one person's day, you've almost certainly inspired other acts of kindness.

[gratuitous]

15. Note the approach: "Would you mind if I paid this for you?"

No judgment and allows the other person her agency (she chooses whether the offer is accepted, there's no "rescue" of a damsel in distress).

I've done this sort of thing before, and will probably do it again, so the approach modeled here is worth remembering.

[PJMcK]

17. Good points

When a situation presents itself, I prefer to ask if I can help. As you wrote, the other person retains their agency without any judgment.

[OAITW r.2.0]

19. Honestly, that was the hardest part of the thing.

Thinking about how to make the offer, without offending. "Would you mind" seemed like the right approach.

[EarnestPutz]

20. See my post #18 below. When I paid for the person behind me I did have some hesitation.....

.....about the man's reaction, particularly because of cultural differences. But my daughter often pays for someone's coffee in the drive up line behind her, so I figured "just go for it".

[MLAA]

16. Being kind sure makes you feel good! Way to go!

[EarnestPutz]

18. Good for you! I've heard of people doing this as a random act of kindness, but hadn't done.....

.....it myself until just this past Saturday. I was in the "Best Asian Market", a local store that specializes in Asian foods. There were four or five people in line ahead of me, socially distanced six feet apart, and as I waited I had short conversation with an elderly Vietnamese man behind me. His English was pretty limited but the conversation was mostly about the two large packages of tripe that he had in his basket. For "pho" he told me. When I was checked out I waved off the $15+ in change from my twenty and told the cashier to put it to his groceries.
I too could use a little extra good karma and, like you, it did make my day a little better.

[blueinredohio]

21. Bless you!

If only everyone was that nice.

[Piasladic]

22. my local bank switched to a globular entity yesterday. Crap name too.

Last edited Wed Feb 23, 2022, 01:51 AM - Edit history (1)

I have been a bit too slow to exit and Monday was D-day. Even worse the name is Trueist. Can you think of a more Orwellian brand? Ugh, I swear, by hell and high water I will change banks this weekend!

Long story short.. my card didn't work, but I had that weird paper-like thing people seem to take in place of a card.

I am sure you got tripple bonus karma points until you talked about it. Now, it's only double. I'll put in a good word since you inspired me; maybe you can get more than we expect...

[OAITW r.2.0]

26. LOL....

I actually wrote the post and let it simmer an hour before posting it on DU. I was wrestling with how this story might be taken - "guy is tooting is own horn, what a jerk". Being an anonymous board, I figured most DUers would find it a nice break from all of the negative news and ugly human stories we get bombarded with.

[Aussie105]

35. Horn tooting is good

when you have a good reason.

Unlike some . . .

Spread the warm feeling!

[soldierant]

69. Consider a credit union

if you have one within any reasonable distance, or else don't mind online banking.

[Piasladic]

72. absolutely!

That's exactly where I am going. Hubby switched to the credit union and loves it. I've just been slow to shift. No more! This Friday, I'm switching over.

[soldierant]

75. Mine has certainly made my life better.

I'm glad you already have a connection.

[oldsoftie]

77. I moved everything out a week ago. I'll wait till they figure it out to go back

[LoisB]

23. Very kind of you. I like the "would you mind".

nt

[Duncanpup]

24. You're a fine person

[homegirl]

25. What goes around

comes around.

A few years ago I decided my New Years resolution would be to do a good deed every day. Small things, distracting an acting out toddler, letting a driver out of a driveway onto the road, a few dollars to the person on the corner with a sign, or even the 'doggie bag' given to the homeless person on the street.

Sunday I had to call for a service to jump the battery in my car. Called the service Sunday night, scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Monday. Fellow came at 8:00 a.m.. jumped the battery and didn't charge me. Looks like Play it Forward has caught on!

[OAITW r.2.0]

30. Thanks! Actually, this started on Sunday.

Picked up a couple who were hitch-hiking a ride. They had a gas can, so I thought maybe they had run out of gas. It was pretty damn chilly up here on Sunday. When they got in, I asked about where their car ran out of gas. It wasn't for a car, they didn't have one. They needed gas for their generator - they were living in a camp, at the moment. I dropped them off and gave the girl $20.00 for the gas. I liked how I felt afterwards.

[Aussie105]

27. There's a Joe Cocker song on this very topic.

Hymn for my soul album, 'Just pass it on'.

&ab_channel=RobO%27Connell

I found a couple of ID cards on a seat in public transport.
Rather than give it to the driver, as they would just be put into lost and found, I made an effort to track down the owner.
Easy enough, employer's details on one of the cards.
Rang the business, sure enough, owner of the cards worked there.
Mailed the cards with a little note including my email address asking for acknowledgement of receipt to the business address.

Yep, she got the cards back. Happy as anything.

I spent the rest of that week polishing my halo.

There are good people out there. I like to think I'm one of them.

[OAITW r.2.0]

51. Yep, it's the small things in life that can make a big difference.

For both parties.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

28. That was a bargain price

For good karma, and the assurance that you are a good human being.

Lots of people spend a lot more and get a lot less of that assurance.

Now, pour yourself a glass of that wine.

[OAITW r.2.0]

52. I've poured more than one.....and enjoying them in a serial fashion.

[moniss]

29. You

are a gentleman of the highest order.

[MineralMan]

31. I've done that a couple of times, too.

Why not?

[bluboid]

34. lotsa good karma!

[Karadeniz]

32. Well done!

[bluboid]

33. very sweet - lotsa good karma!

[Callalily]

36. That was very kind and generous of you!

You definitely make the world a better place.

[OAITW r.2.0]

54. By itself, hardly anything.

But what if those that can, help those that can't? It's a gift that goes both ways....

[onecaliberal]

37. Thank you! Lots of brownie points there.

[yardwork]

38. You are an angel.

[OAITW r.2.0]

55. Hardly.

[iluvtennis]

39. Aww , so sweet. Tip of the hat to you. n/ t

[SammyWinstonJack]

40. Was in line yesterday and that same thing happened. Kind hearted person

[MontanaMama]

41. YOU

made me day with this piece of loveliness. I’ll bet you made hers too.

[OAITW r.2.0]

61. Backatcha.

[AZLD4Candidate]

42. I do that occasionally too.

Sad that so many people won't.

But, as I have stated many times before, selfishness, narcissism, and psychopathy are the rule of the day.

[Aussie105]

45. You have to be careful though . . .

There was I, loading shopping into my car, and a lady walks up to me.
Looks at the box of breakfast cereals visible, and gives me a story of how her children are starving and she's like to buy them a box of that.
So I give her some money.
Does she go into the shop to buy something? Nope, marches off at top speed in a different direction.
Skinny, nervous, wrinkled dehydrated skin - meth user off to go see her dealer?

Another one:
Australian native Aborigine walks up to me, outside a shopping center again, gives me a story, I give him money.
Not a thank you, just a quick turn around and march off.

Basically, two con jobs from beggars.

from now on, it will be . . . sorry, haven't got any to spare.
Whatever your problem is, I don't want to know.

[OAITW r.2.0]

46. Yeah, we know that happens.

Pretty sure neither of the women in the OP were meth-heads. Poor - yes. Unfashionable - yes. Needing a good moment - I did.

[AZLD4Candidate]

74. I don't give money.

Someone has to say the right thing: "I'm hungry. Could you help?"

At that point, I'll either buy them food or bring them into some place, have them choose, then buy it for them.

The magic word for me are "I'm hungry, could you get me something to eat?"
.

[Hortensis]

81. I'll give money to people on the street/in parking lots

who look like they're genuinely without, but it's always given freely to use as they choose. I don't bother being offended that they may be lying with me and in fact prefer to cut them off ahead of time.

Boy, it's been a while, last time was someone who hadn't been rousted yet from a Publix parking lot. I don't go shopping the places you find discount fabric warehouses, central produce markets, homeless people and so on these days.

[TomSlick]

43. I'm pleased to be in a group that includes people like you.

You're a good person.

[OAITW r.2.0]

56. Thanks for the comment.

I'm getting to the end of the line, maybe I'm just trying to get my karmic accounts in order.

[CaptainTruth]

44. Good for you. You made someone's day.

[OAITW r.2.0]

64. My day, for sure!

[sheshe2]

47. You are such a good person.

thank you.

[OAITW r.2.0]

48. I am 92.7% good.

The rest is up for debate.

[sheshe2]

49. These are hard and emotional times for all.

You gifted someone.

I give you 100%.

[Cha]

50. Aww.. it made me choke

up a little.

I love good kind stories like this..

TY OAITW

ETA~ Well Written, too!

[OAITW r.2.0]

62. We all need good news stories IRL.

Truth be told, I got as much satisfaction from the moment as the recipient did.

[Cha]

63. I could tell!

[DemocraticPatriot]

53. I hope you were wearing a mask

and I hope the recipient was doing so, also.

[OAITW r.2.0]

57. I was, they weren't.

Did not matter in the moment.

[DemocraticPatriot]

58. Well, I guess that is a form of "evangelism" :)

[MustLoveBeagles]

59. That was nice of you

[OAITW r.2.0]

65. In the moment, it was the right thing to offer.

Honestly, it was a 50/50 proposition. Just as easily could have been a "thanks, but no thanks" moment. Would not have shocked me if the offer was declined. Folks here are like that.

[ismnotwasm]

60. K&R

[Kid Berwyn]

66. That is who you are.

Kindness Never OldandIntheWay.

[OAITW r.2.0]

67. Cheers Kid

[Bristlecone]

68. Big rec.

[DENVERPOPS]

70. Awesome QA

I only wish your kindness was contagious....
Speaking of super markets........
Has anyone else noticed at your local Safeway something like I have when shopping at our local Safeway (actually Albertsons)

Albertsons (Safeway) keeps making the "self checkout" section larger and larger and cutting back on the cashier attended lines.

The lines waiting for the cashiers are now always 5-10 deep because they have cut back on the cashier attended lines to try and force people to go to the self checkout areas. Think of the fortune in profits that is producing!!!!!! Less cashiers means greater profits.
We also have to take our groceries out of our shopping carts and place them on the belt, unlike other stores. We also have to load the bags after our purchase into our baskets because there are no longer any baggers to do that chore. That forces the cashier tohave to bag the groceries..... AND at this particular Safeway we have had to bring in our own shopping cart, from the lot, for the past two months, because no one is employed to bring them in to the cart area at the front of the store. It is painfully obvious that there are no more "night stockers" used, employees are stocking the constantly depleted shelves during shopping hours, constantly clogging the aisle ways.....There also is a limited amount of inventory of every item on the shelves, so I know not to go shopping on Wednesdays, and any other day after noon......other wise I don't get more than 2/3rd of the list I came for. And many times, there is only one brand of an item, and not necessarily the top brand that everyone buys.
Safeway (actually purchased by Albertson's a couple of years ago) is in an all out race to squeeze every last penny out of their customers. A race to the bottom.... Many I know that I know have stopped shopping there and are going to the nearby King Soopers.
Next week, I will join all that are continuing to switch to King Soopers............

[OAITW r.2.0]

73. Never use them. I have done it a few times, mainly Lowes/HomeDepot Stores.

But never in grocery stores. Because it is a PIA with alcohol. Got to get an over-ride.

[C Moon]

71. Thank you! That was AWESOME of you!

[Patton French]

76. Little acts of kindness go a long way.

[calimary]

78. "New math" lesson: when $37.52 equals a million dollars.

Small expense on your part may have meant everything to her.

[ProfessorGAC]

80. Outstanding!

Sorry I missed your post yesterday.
That was an awesome gesture.

[ENO in 2024]

82. Super Power

You have them! Very cool! TU!

[ailsagirl]

83. ...