Sunday, December 14, 2008

FUN MONDAY - Random Acts




It Fun Monday time again


Our Host: The judicious and prudent lovely ladies over at Mommy Wisdom
Our Assignment:
1) perform a random act of kindness. Now, before you freak out, please read on. This is actually really easy!! This act may be for someone you know or for a perfect stranger. It can be big or small, it'll all up to you.
2) Then, blog about what you did and why. How did it impact the person(s) you did it for? And better yet, how did it impact you!? How did you feel after you did it? Would you do it again?
3) If you've had a random act of kindness bestowed on you (recently), we'd love to hear about it. How did it impact you? How did it make you feel?



1) I don’t have a good deed or even a act of kindness for this week unless you count not stabbing the “Old One”. My friend Debbiesue would say that counts but she is good, generous, my friend and knows what it is like living with your ever aging parents. I was home sick most of the week and unable to do my normal escape to work each day, and want a gold star or points or something for not stabbing him. But it really doesn’t count as a random act of kindness, thou I pretty sure it would be considered justifiable, my sister says she will testify in my defence but I still don't think not stabbing you farther count as an act of kindness, so I will tell you of the week before last , just after Thanksgiving. I’m in the garage crushing cans preparing to take them for recycle. Yes, I’m one of the great waste generation and I drive an evil SUV but I feel we should do our part, beside I turn the cans in for cash that is than donated to our local humane society, (This in not my random act this is a normal thing I do) besides they are always strapped for cash. So, I’m out smashing cans, seeing how for medical reason I am no longer permitted my elixir of life, know as diet Mt Dew to the rest of the world, I must now rummage to supply my can smashing addition and had to give up on my plans for my Christmas tree.
It only takes 485 can (two month supply) but no more Dew for me. So I’m left to foraging for my cans pulling the odd can from atop someone else trash, picking up litter, asking co-worker for they cans, it is amazing how quickly they comply, not sure if it is the odd voice (some have compared to that of Ozzie from Black Sabbath with better diction) “I Want Your Can” in lieu of I’m Iron man, or the stare, not sure. Hey, I’m being deprived you expect me to be Little Miss Marry Sunshine. Any way I’m in the garage smashing cans, I love the crunch they make, not sure but the whole can collecting could be just so I can smash the little cans, the power. I’m sure the head shrink would have something to say about my need for violence, but they’re all a bunch of overeducated, drug using whack jobs, beside they said I was sane enough to work in our nuclear field. When along comes the Pastor from next door, a nice enough man all in all and should get some kind of an award for all he and his wife do, no I don’t go to his church, but still like the dude he is non-denominational and for all the years he has been our neighbor I have never heard him say a cross word about anyone. He had a funeral and the church had the dinner but there was a lot of extra food, that the family donated to the local youth home (one of the places the pastor works, the church doesn’t give him must if any thing for a salary so he works besides all the time he donates, he even had his church assist in the local clean up that the group I belong to arranged with help from the county, that was in addition to them opening the social hall for our pot-luck after the clean up. As I said a good guy). Besides food should not go to waste and anything would be better that the institutional non-food they normally get at the home. So we pack the leftovers and head off to town in my SUV, see there is a reason for me to have an SUV and you don’t need to be a soccer mom. When we get to the home you can see the Charge Person is pleased but a little disturbed too. I questioned what the problem is, well there wasn’t enough of any one thing for everyone to have for dinner and it will cause strife. Caulking my head I say what, you just make a Sheppard’s pie, casserole, or pot pie, with some tidbit no big deal. (My Mother was the queen of feeding a large family on leftovers to the point you didn’t know they were leftover. Debbiesue, my roommate from back in the Farmington, New Mexico days can contest that I have some of my Mothers skills in that unusual department.) The Charge Person gives me this deer in the headlight look and says she has never heard of such a thing. Somehow they talk me into showing some of the kids how to make a Sheppard’s pie, but under my rules:
1. Five would stay and help me with making dinner
2. Five would set the table and come up with after dinner entrainment -TV was not acceptable, games or songs or a play their pick (they were playing host.)
3. Five would have to finish my chore of smashing the cans, so the pastor went an got my collection of cans for the task.
4. After dinner five names would be drawn to see who would clear the dishes and clean up without complaint. Those were the rules.

The kids agreed and when they found out what I was doing with the cans, the 15 without a task took to foraging for more can. They managed to amass more cans in a few hours than I had over months of collecting. I think they all had an enjoyable evening, the pastor says they did. The shelter got twice the donation they would have. It is astonishing how thing work out when we work together, did I do much no, just willing to help when asked, as was everyone involved.

2) How did it make me feel? I’m not sure as it wasn’t a planned act it just was, but it made me feel good that the kids all pitched in and helped and went out of their way to help collect cans for others.

3) Guess the collecting of can would count.
Well how is that for a story? You can read of other random acts over at Mommy Wisdom
Thanks for stopping by.

15 comments:

SwampAngel65 said...

You are FULL of acts of kindness! I think it is super what you do for the shelter and getting the kids to help with all that stuff was great. I bet they did enjoy it! (What was the entertainment they chose, anyway?)

I'll give you a gold star for not stabbing The Old One, if I can have one for not stabbing BG.

You cut your hair for Locks of Love, smash cans for the shelter...what else do you do? You are a great example of a kind, generous and self-less person. I am proud to be your "sister".

Anonymous said...

Wow, that was some story... I think it's funny that you said it was a RAK to not have stabbed the "Old One"... *pins a gold star on you*

Thanks for a great story. It all worked out in the end; as it should.

Have a great week!

MommyWizdom

Swampwitch said...

Me thinks not stabbing ANYONE is an RAK. I guess not whacking AnodeMan with a 2 by 4 would also qualify, wouldn't you think.
The Locks of Love donation hits home for me as I was bald from chemo for almost a year.
And, hey, glad to make you LOL at my place for at least considering posting according to the rules.

http://anecdotes.typepad.com

Swampy

I surely wish I knew the html code to make that URL up there a link that worked. But I don't.

karisma said...

Wow, that as some story, I think there were a few acts of kindness in there for sure! Yeah and I also think it was kind of you not to stab the old man. I know just how you feel, we all have days like that! Im very glad you kept your cool though!

Hootin Anni said...

No stabbing? Well, I tellya, I'm with all the others....that indeed is a good act. May not be random, but it's good none the less.

What a great entry for Fun Monday

Cruise Mom said...

Wow - you are so creative! Large groups of kids without an assigned task leave me shaking in fear, great thinking to give them all something to do.

I'm with SwampAngel65 - what entertainment did they choose?

Hula Girl at Heart said...

Wonderful!! That whole event was oozing with AOK. Good for you.

And has someone who helps to care for an aging in-law, I say not stabbing your dad counts, too. Some days are just that way.

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

Some days not murdering those who drive you crazy totally counts as RAK! Love the can idea!

Jan n Jer said...

Loved your story, that was truely a RAK. Glad you didnt stab "The Old one" wouldn't want you to spend the holidays in Jail.

Faye said...

What a big brawl of a story! Just one woman trying to get over not having her drink of life and at the same time try to feed a few defenseless animals. And then the leftovers appear and the goodness spreads. I'll bet those teens at the group home/center remember the day they learned to make shepherd's pir for a longtime. Well done!

I feel your pain re the "Old One". When my older sister had to stay with me for about four months earlier this year I told my friends that they need to check the obs daily for reports of a murder-suicide on Summit Court!

Unknown said...

I bet you could have listed at least 10 things you did in the last week alone. :)

You had to give up the dew. :( Not fair!

Living Life said...

Wow! My head is spinning! You certainly managed to perform many RAK's, especially NOT stabbing the "Old One".

Sayre said...

That sounds like a TOTALLY random act of kindness. You had no idea where it was going, but you went with it anyway.

Alison said...

great post and great act of kindness!!! perfect post.

Faye said...

Hey iamwhoiam, just stopped by to wish you a very happy holiday season. May it be just exactly as you like it--wildly festive or quiet and peaceful. Willie and I are going for quiet and peaceful.

All the best to you and yours in '09.