I gave some guy thirty bucks and a ride home tonight.

[stevedeshazer]

This fellow, I'll call him Ken, was in a tight spot.

He's completely broke and has a daughter who lives with her mother, his estranged girl friend. I guess Herman Cain would say that it's his own fault. Tonight, he found out he has to work Friday which coincides with his visitation with his daughter.

So he'll make about seventy bucks that day and pay someone fifty bucks to sit his daughter, and get maybe two hours with her.

This guy is my coworker.

He works fifty hours a week. He literally has nothing but his visitation with his daughter, a cheap motel room, and the thirty bucks I gave him. He told me he had no money for turkey dinner.

I couldn't let that happen.

In previous years my wife and I made good money, so I could afford to help him out a bit. But it's not sustainable. She is retired, and I make 1/3 what I used to.

So I'm thankful that I was able to help someone, but sad that it was so desperately needed in a nation swimming in wealth hoarded by the 1%

In better times, I had a boss who was from Sweden. She told me that money is like manure. If it piles up in one place, it stinks and it doesn't do any good. If you spread it around instead, things grow and the stink goes away.

I think spreading a bit around is good advice.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. You did a really good thing, Steve...

I'm sure your coworker is really grateful.

How awful he has to work Friday. That just breaks my heart...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and to your coworker...

:hug:

[stevedeshazer]

21. Thanks to you as well

:hug: back

[kiva]

2. That was a great thing to do.

Sort of what Thanksgiving should be about.

Laughed at the saying from your former boss...I remember something similar in the movie Hello Dolly, where Dolly talks about her former (dead) husband saying that; I think it was one of those pivotal scenes in the movie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[blueamy66]

3. You're the bomb!

Bet you will sleep like a baby tonite.

[The Genealogist]

4. It was very kind of you to help out this fellow

I am sure if I was in that same set of circumstances, I would be very grateful.

And this: "She told me that money is like manure. If it piles up in one place, it stinks and it doesn't do any good. If you spread it around instead, things grow and the stink goes away." Fantastic!

[Tiggeroshii]

5. I was feeling nice yesterday too...

Bought a homeless couple dinner on my last twenty bucks. If policy can't influence good will, hopefully our actions can. Cheers! :toast:

[stevedeshazer]

7. That's the spirit

We have to take care of each other.

:)

[lonestarnot]

6. Thank you Stevie!

And happy thanksgiving to you! :loveyou:

[stevedeshazer]

9. You as well.

:)

[freshwest]

8. Thank you for being there for him.

[roguevalley]

10. Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Doing good spreads the ripples

of love into the world and the one act of compassion and love that you did will spawn dozens. You made a difference.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. Good for you.

[LibDemAlways]

12. You demonstrated the spirit of the holiday. I once observed

a man at a gas station buying $3.00 worth of gas because that's all the money he had. His car looked to be on its last legs. The man behind him in line at the cashier sized up the situation and told the cashier he was paying for the man to have $20.00 extra in fuel. The recipient of the kindness had tears in his eyes and kept saying "Bless you" over and over. The man who had paid the extra $20.00 shrugged it off saying, "I'm glad I'm in a position to help."

Sounds like you are cut from the same cloth.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. You deserve a great one.

[B Calm]

13. The 1% could use you an example on how to live their life.

[nenagh]

14. That is so good of you.....

I only work part time after retirement, and my coworker is young, knowledgeable and computer savvy. She makes 25 cents over minumum wage.

When I do my shift, I stuff some bills into her jacket pocket.. and say thank you for helping me learn the latest in computer software changes. By now, she tells me... you crazy 'girl'... don't do that... but I always will..

She is vastly underpaid... and I could not work without her. She deserves every little bill I am able to give her...

[xchrom]

15. very good of you.

:yourock: :toast:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

16. Well done. Happy T'Day.

I also love the analogy from your past boss from Sweden. :thumbsup:

[stevedeshazer]

17. Same to you.

Thanks.

:hi:

[irisblue]

18. you rock

happy thanksgiving steve.

[stevedeshazer]

22. Happy Thanksgiving to you, irisblue.

:)

[lunatica]

19. Thank you

I've been on both ends of your situation. I've given help and received it. Your co-worker will be able to pay it forward someday because of what you do for him.

Envision all the people who will benefit in the future over this one act of kindness on your part as everyone down the line pays it forward.

[stevedeshazer]

20. That's what it is all about.

Pay it forward. Because some day, you or me might need help, too.

[ThomWV]

23. Dam good for you.

Dam good for you. You did good.

[stevedeshazer]

25. Damn good for you.

I'm quite thankful you are still here, buddy.

:)

[ThomWV]

26. My dear friend, as long as the world has good people like you it doesn't need me

I have and continue to enjoy my time with the full knowledge that someday it will go, but as long as their are dam good people like you out there we'll make it. I am so happy to have the acquaintance of someone as fundamentally decent as you that it honestly brings a tear to my eye.

[stevedeshazer]

31. You just made my day, man.

Maybe even my month or year.

Peace, my friend.

We'll make it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. I bet that 'cheap motel room' is bleeding him dry. Too bad he can't rent a studio apt or something.

Bless you for helping him.

[stevedeshazer]

28. He rents it only when he has his visitation with his daughter.

The rest of the time he lives in a homeless shelter.

He doesn't want her to know. She's a third-grader. I can tell how much he loves his kid.

God bless him and all the folks this Thanksgiving Day who need help.

[Liberal_in_LA]

34. omg...he's homeless..so sad. Glad you helped out.

[DesertFlower]

27. that's a wonderful thing you did.

have a wonderful holiday.

[2 Much Tribulation]

29. Amen. nt

[yellerpup]

30. You inspire gratitude from me.

Your generosity captures the true spirit of this holiday~to be free from want. I would have loved your Swedish boss.

[Flatulo]

32. Bless your heart... to people who have almost nothing, $30 can be a real life saver.

I have a divorced buddy who has a crappy job and after he pays child support and rent, he has maybe $10 left for the rest of the week.

I help him out when he'll let me, but mostly I give him my recent computers, TV, smartphones etc when I upgrade. It's a real lifeline.

[BiggJawn]

33. Good on ya, Steve!

Happy Thanksgiving.