Random acts of kindness

On 02/27/2014 at 06:49 PM by Ranger1

Linked to Article Series: Blog a Day (BaD) 2014

This is and it isn't a game-related blog entry. It's more about community and friendship and strangers performing acts of kindness than gaming. I was reminded of this when reading the caption of a photo in my Photo A Day group on Facebook a few minutes ago. I belong to several online communities and have made friends with people I may never get to meet in person from all over the world. On more than one occasion, I have received something - a kind message, a card, a gift, a phone call - for no reason other than kindness on the other person's part. GH sent me a game after my dad died and I was really depressed. A friend won a shawl in a silent auction and sent it to me after a particularly bad event in my life. Another friend wrote a poem about my first dog after we'd had to have him put down and another friend wrote a fiddle tune for him. Yet another kind stranger sent me a box of shortbread teddy bears from Orkney. None of these people has ever asked for anything in return, it was just an act of kindness. And my cameras were both gifted to me by a friend who felt I had potential as a photographer.

I've tried to pay it forward as best I can. I've sent games that I no longer wanted out to friends because it made me happier to give them away than to sell them. I make cross stitch items for people, it makes me happy to make them and people like it when I make them something. I made a calendar from some of my nature photos for a fellow natural history junkie who was dying from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and could no longer go hiking and see these things for herself. But the one I'm happiest with is sending a camera that wasn't being used to an autistic child whose mom belongs to the Photo A Day group. Delilah just turned seven yesterday and her mom had started doing PAD with her last year as a way to try to get Delilah to be more creative. It's been fascinating to watch the two of them bonding over the photos - Delilah decides how to interpret the prompt of the day, and her mom takes the photo. The parents were going to get Delilah a camera for Christmas, but had a major vet expense and money's been tight, so no camera for Miss D. My mom had a camera that I'd given her that she can't use - she has tremors in er hands after a couple of minor strokes - and we decided to send it to Delilah. I haven't seen any of her photos yet, but I know she's enjoying taking them. And that's all that counts.

So have any of you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a random act of kindness?

Aboboisdaman

02/27/2014 at 08:10 PM

I sent a friend from 1up a Sega Genesis once. He wrote a blog about it. It makes me sad looking at that. I've lost contact with him since then. He was supposed to come over to Pixlbit, but for whatever reason, never did.

Ranger1

02/27/2014 at 08:20 PM

Yeah, a lot of my friends never made it here. I hate how I've let friendships lapse, too.

It was a really nice thing you did for Quincy.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/27/2014 at 08:42 PM

I've benefited from a lot of kindness over the years, which is good as I can't really handle the world so well. These days I don't interact with a lot of people, but mostly I appreciate when my friends come visit me out of the kindness of their hearts as I can't really travel. Lately, I'm glad for the kindness people here show me when I post about projects and music.

Kindness is definitely underrated in this day and age.

02/27/2014 at 08:52 PM

I'm a believer in kindness. And I also believe that we get back the same kind of energy that we put out. If you put out positive energy, then you get it back, and usually with interest. If you send out negative energy, you get that back, too. Personally, I prefer the positive kind.

Super Step Contributing Writer

02/27/2014 at 10:25 PM

I really need to get on that charity boat again, I fell off the wagon last Christmas and have been meaning to give to my regular places again. I might want to make up for it with service, though.

02/28/2014 at 09:18 AM

Not quite what I was talking about, but service is good.

02/28/2014 at 04:00 PM

I know, but I've never donated a game to a stranger or anything, so I commented with something related, but not the same thing.

Maybe I'll give away one of the games I'm not interested in playing any more to my friend in the apartment complex ... but I don't think he wants any of mine. Hmm...

C.S.3590SquadLeader

02/28/2014 at 11:54 AM

I try to do nice things for people when I can, like give up my seat on the bus and stuff like that. It sucks that the bus companies have to spell out being kind by having 'please give this seat up to the elderly' printed on the front-most seats.

goaztecs

03/01/2014 at 12:09 AM

I like to think that everyone has these acts of kindness in them, from being a simple hello to giving someone a helping hand. Who knew something so simple as being nice to a person by just saying hello can change their outlook.

I do believe that if you do go, good things will happen to you, and if you are blessed, help out others who are not as blessed.

NSonic79

04/20/2014 at 02:50 AM

Helped my aunt with her HD Tv problems when on one else would. that's the most recent one I can think of.

PixlBit