Little bits of help

People are always helping others. Sometimes not. From paid positions, or those wishing to reach higher goals, all the way down to the tiny bits of help, is a huge range. The littlest bits of help can sometimes make life better for someone, and maybe even prevent severe problems.

So far nobody has told me about anything I remember at the moment, further than the gloves plan.

A couple I am sharing are just examples. One though I thought was useful to share, for the off chance someone reads it, comes in a similar situation, thinks of that, does the same thing, and it actually knowingly pays off. My example in this, I don't know.

A friend of mine, since deceased, used to pick up lost gloves on the streets, take them home, wash them, and then give them out to people on the streets. They appreciated keeping their hands warm, and didn't care they didn't have matching gloves.

One thing in modern western life is that standard is children are the property of their parent(s), and not part of a community. But children, can wander off, get into things, and whatever, without their parents noticing. At least, not noticing until it's too late.

Even though this was a chance kind of thing, I'm glad I jumped in, just in case.

In the Netherlands I was biking up a hill and ahead of me was a dad and his kid following. I stayed behind to take it easy uphill. As dad passed behind a car, it went into reverse, and the kid was just coming up behind.

The kid would have only had the very top of his helmet visible in the mirror, if at all.

Recognizing the danger, I sped up really quickly, and caught up with the kid, and then slowed down and rode parallel to him until we passed the car. I had caught up just as he was getting behind the car, so I would should have been already in view in their mirrors.

In any case, after we were past the car, and possible danger, I sped up again to get out of the middle of the road.

This kid I thought I recognized, but I don't have good eyes, my glasses were maybe needing replacing as well. But the kid was alone, and I was watching expecting the father to come around the corner behind him.

I was in line at the register, so I just watched, and didn't think much about it. And not sure if it was the kid I thought. A minute or two later the father ran into the main isle frantically looking for the kid, while holding his other kid.

I should have figured it out early on, and just left the line and go see if it was the kid I thought, then signal to the father I've got him, got the kid and brought him to his dad. That would have been a cleaner resolution, and less panic time for the father.

Probably so many people have similar stories, hopefully all with good outcomes. I hope people with funny or interesting ones post theirs!

This was in California, and so in a place where you have to be very careful not to piss someone off, no matter how good intended, I usually am reluctant to jump in.

Although a small chance it would have been unwelcome, I could have just left it, but it popped into my head.

I was walking along a sidewalk, and the father was busy at the front or side of the car. As I walked past him towards the back of the car, the a younger kid that was near the back just went into the street behind the car, out of view of his father.

There was no danger, no traffic in the area, although a usually fairly busy downtown street. Still, dad didn't know what the kid was doing, and there was probably a rule of stay on the sidewalk. So, the father should know. To avoid an altercation, and to keep walking to avoid one, I thought of something to say to the kid, and the father would hear that.

The thing that literally came to my mind and what I said to the kid : "Where do you think you're going?".

Maybe an odd phrase, but father heard it, went and explained to the kid, even saying something about what that guy said, and repeating my line.

I maybe could have given a thumbs up, or turned around or something, but "situation" handled, so I just moved on.

An area under construction had an underpass made for pedestrians and bicycles. This was in the Netherlands, so lots of bikes. I only biked into the city once or twice a week, but this underpass was annoying.

It had to be certainly more than 5 stories high, probably close to 10. A very long time to push a bike up so many stairs, and there was a big platform halfway, probably so people could take a break. (Kidding about the break part.)

Anyway, one time I was going up the stairs at my usual slow, take it easy, pace, but I quickly caught up to the guy ahead of me.

It was clear it was difficult for him, so instead of just going around, I put down my bike went up, and asked if I should push his bike to the top.

He was very happy to have that bit of help, and I was glad to help. We had a nice little chat on the way up, and he left, I went back down, got my bike and again back to the top. But it was worth it.

Other than the gloves thing above, nobody has told me anything that was significant enough to stick in my mind. If anything at all. Of course if I remember any, and any more from myself, I will be adding to the list here as time permits.