Keeping the Karma/Random Acts of kindness/What did you do nice for someone else?

[BAckbOwlsgIrl]

Okay, maybe it is not good karma if you tell. But, I still think it is nice to share/brag what we did nice for someone else.

Maybe you let someone in front of you line. Gave up a parking space, you name it. Go ahead and tell.

I will go first;
On Sunday at Ulta, I had a 20% off coupon. The woman checking out next to me forgot her 20% off coupon and was asking about return policies. I said that she could use mine. The girls at the register didn't think that it could be done, using the same coupon twice, but, I told them that I just used my coupon across town. I told them to keep the karma and to do it. They used my coupon and it worked; woman got 20% off!

So, who is next? What did you do nice for someone else?

[PiKA2001]

I gave away my entire bedroom set to a stranger a few months ago.... still sleeping on a air mattress...socks and underwear are in my coffee table drawers because I have no dresser....

Oh well, someone needed it more than I did.

[Tulip86]

I was walking home with some really nice sushi I got at my job. We get to take home all the left over sushi, hich is actually freshly made an hour or so before closing time so still really good. I wasn't really hungry and a homeless man asked me for some change so he could buy food, didn't have any so I gave him my sushi. He was quite happy about it and even shared with his friends.

[nittanygirl]

A few weeks ago, I drove a girl I only know in passing around town to look for her keys because they would be $45 at minimum to replace and she was really upset.

I've also had very good deeds done for me by kind people... just two days ago I left my iPhone laying in the bathroom of the dorm. Needless to say, I was really upset. Girls returned it out of the goodness of their heart & wouldn't take a reward when I offered.

I also lost my wallet on a city bus a few years ago and had no idea until I actually got an email from someone that they had found it, and their phone number so he could meet up and give it to me. They looked me up in the PSU database to find my email.

Remember, pay it forward. It always comes back to you and you will make someone else so much happier.

[AnotherKD]

Just this morning, a woman was short $1.06 at Starbucks, and when she rifled through her purse, I just handed it to the cashier. No biggie, but she acted as though someone had just saved her drowning puppy. I try to do small things like that whenever I have the opportunity, cause I know I need the good karma!

[IrishLake]

I'm all about karma and paying it forward. I've been through some very troubling times in my life, and people I never expected to do something nice for me did amazing things.

When I was working in downtown Cinci, there were always homeless people panhandling. I'd give change if I had it. One freezing December day though, I walked to Quiznos to get some lunch. I bought my meal, and was walking back to work when I passed a homeless woman sitting on a decorative planter near the road, and I could tell she was freezing and she was sobbing her eyes out. I passed her, and couldn't live with myself. Turned around, went back and asked her if she was ok. She said "No. I came up here to live with my boyfriend I met online. He kicked me out, and I don't have anything anymore. He's gone, and took my stuff with him. I'm from Florida and I don't know what to do, and my family there hates me." So I offered to buy her lunch. I went back into Quiznos, bought a giant sub, 2 bags of chips, a pepsi and a bowl of soup and took it all to her. Then I offered her my cell phone so she could maybe call soemone in Florida who might care enough to help her get back home. She called her dad, and I guess he started crying and he said he'd find a way to get up to Cinci and find her. Could have all been a show, but I didn't give her any money, just food and a phone call. She was so greatful. What killed me was she said "I've been sitting out here crying for 2 hours, and no one has even so much as looked at me, let alone stopped to talk to me. Thank you."

Another time I took my kids to the Newport Aquarium. I had 2 coupons for "Buy one adult admission, get 2 kids in free." Well I was only using one coupon, so I gave the other to an elderly couple behind me who were taking their 2 grandkids in. They were shocked I had just saved them like $40.

[PhoenixAzul]

When I was in grad school, I was poorer than poor. Like, can't afford beans on toast kind of poor. So I was working (bad idea in a thesis based MA), and coming home on the bus late at night in a dodgy section of Glasgow late at night. So I'm on the bus, and I'm eating this apple, and this old guy starts chatting about apples and what ever, and I mentioned that it was pretty much all I had to eat that night. Then this young guy reaches into his bag and whips out this massive chocolate chip cookie and just gives it to me. We started chatting, and turns out that he was reading this book called Danny Wallace and his Karma Army (blog here http://www.join-me.co.uk/) and that I was going to be his random act of kindness that day.

I told a friend about it later that night and turns out that he had read that same book, and he gave it to me to read. It was a really fun read and gave me some ideas.

Basically, he and his "followers" (it isn't a cult, I promise you) practice "Good Fridays Agreement". Every Friday, they do random acts of kindness. I read the book, and started doing it.

Sometimes it was little things, like leaving 20p pieces on the edge of the pay toilets in the train station, or sending uber positive feedback to companies about their employees. Other times it was a little more elaborate, like going to the coffee truck on the way to uni and giving them a couple of pounds and saying, "please give the next five people who ask for coffee a free one on me", or buying a bunch of food and trying to give it away within a certain distance (ok, I've got five apples and a pear to give away between Uni and Kelvingrove museum, GO!), I've paid the bus fare of the person behind me (a favorite because they'll usually come and talk to you afterwards) I've left random notes in places with happy greetings or cute pictures in them...

I really enjoyed it. It was fun to do these things and not see people's reactions to them. I mean, yeah it may not have changed someone's life, but perhaps it gave them a bright spot in an otherwise dark day, or just a surprise. We've got very little to give us awe or delight these days, and so if I can do that, even in a little way, I will.

[WCsweet<3]

This past weekend a mother and her daughter came into my work looking for clothes for a trip. The daughter had found some items she had liked, but the total was out of her budget. A customer the day before had given me an extra coupon (something like $40 off of $100) and I gave it to them. The mother just about cried.

Yesterday I was ridiculously stressed, as in almost crying stressed, and had 20 minutes to eat lunch. I ran into a local restaurant for happy hour. The bartender noticed how stressed I was and gave me a free coke and bowl of soup. In the end I was given a 60% discount.

[AGDee]

Small stuff today. I held the elevator because I heard heels walking up to it. The woman was really appreciative, saying "Thank you so much! That was so nice!" It was like 10 extra seconds out of my day.. no big deal, really.

I ran into Kroger to pick up a few things and realized there was a wallet in the cart I had picked. I took it to the store manager.

I'm really thinking my things don't even count. They are simply a matter of "doing the right thing". But, they were the nicest things I did today.

[BAckbOwlsgIrl]

On my lunch hour at Barnes & Noble in the magazine, a woman was crying on phone. So, text on my screen:

HI! I don't know you. I am sorry that your sun is not shining and you are sad. I hope you feel better. Hugs!

And then I showed it to her and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

[honeychile]

I'm a firm believer in random acts of kindness - but I'm not wild about the moniker "random acts of kindness". I think they should be the norm, rather than exceptional.

The last time I went to my favorite ice cream shop (Brusters, if you've heard of it), there was an elderly couple, each taking small licks to stretch out their cones. The last time I had my dog at the groomer's, she was selling coupon booklets for the same place, so of course, I bought one.

Anyhow, I went over to them and said, "Would you like a BOGO coupon? I see you like ice cream." They almost cried when I handed them the coupon, but I think I got the better end of the deal, just seeing their joy! So many older folks just can't afford treats like that, so I try to watch for them, to see what thrills them. When I make brownies or such, I always make too many, then take some across the street to the couple who have "adopted" me, and say, "Please save me from myself! I don't need to eat this many!" They fall for it every time!

[christiangirl]

A couple weeks ago, I had a patient who came in with no clothing (she'd made a suicide attempt and her clothes were cut off in the ambulance). She was taking public transportation back home and didn't have anything to wear. I looked through the spare clothes we have for patients and our supply of women's clothes was totally depleted. So the next day, I grabbed her a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and shoes from my closet. The shoes were new but I'd never worn them and the clothes didn't fit anymore. It was no real loss to me but she was really appreciative. I don't think anyone had done anything nice for her lately.

Good things come to me, too! I was in Quizno's for lunch and realized I'd left my wallet at home. The cashier told me to just take it on an IOU since the sandwich was already made. They see me come in all the time and trusted me to come back. I was STARVING and super jazzed--I put back the drink and the cookie but he told me to take those, too. I paid them the next day as promised and gave all my change to the tip jar.

[Honeykiss1974]

Yesterday I was in line waiting to checkout and the person in front of me was holding up the line. He was short $1 so I gave him one.

Small stuff but to be honest, I don't consider this to be a "random act of kindness" - its just being courteous.

[nittanygirl]

This story could have really gone lots of places, but I think this is a nice thread & it's great to hear stories of what others have done for people they don't even know.
I had to share here b/c this is a THON story & while many students were involved in raising awareness for this little girl, a PSU Kappa Kappa Gamma gave away her own T-swift Meet & Greet tickets so this girl could get her wish of meeting Taylor Swift.

Young Cancer Patient Meets Taylor Swift