It's interesting how much people care

[Aerows]

I fixed the neighbor's sliding glass door, and she handed me a hundred dollars, which I promptly refused. My grandmother would have smacked me on the back of the head had I accepted.

We are all just people in this world, and we need to care for one another.

[el_bryanto]

1. We have the capacity for great kindness or great cruelty

I think it's best to be hopeful and give the other person a chance, but . . . well I understand where suspicious people are coming from.

Bryant

[Aerows]

2. I do, too

But you can't take helping someone to the bank, and the way it makes you feel inside. It took ten minutes and a screwdriver.

[roguevalley]

37. aerows, you are a good soul. Bless you.

and your granny. sounds like she went to the same school as mine.

[Tikki]

3. At a family reunion this Summer, I got a chance to reconnect with an adult nephew...

What a fine, generous young man. I won't go into a lot of details but he has four daughters he cares for..
each came into his life in different scenarios.
Three of these beautiful girls are the blood of the heart and he is a wonderful father (as is his young wife).

He is so much like his kind, generous father..my awesome bother-in-law.

I married into such a fine family. Lucky me. Smart me.


Tikki
p.s. we are all Democratic voters.

[Aerows]

4. I was raised right

and you are lucky, as am I.

[G_j]

5. I never grow tired of reading this,

"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

― Howard Zinn

[Aerows]

6. That is absolutely beautiful

I'm so glad you posted it. I'm a bit of a nerd, always have been, but it uplifts me to read such things.

[G_j]

7. thank you for your post

it's so important to remember the goodness and kindness that can sustain our spirits.

[Aerows]

8. You are so correct

And thank you for YOUR post, because it reminded me of what it means to someone to do good in this world. It seems like we forget it sometimes. I forget it, but I try.

[G_j]

9. not easy

That's why a little reminder goes a long way!

[Aerows]

10. I'm so far from being a saint that I'd be headed to hell

I just try to be a good person.

[BelgianMadCow]

33. Whatever we do, and however small it may seem

it ALL changes the "succession of presents". Nothing is in vain.

I never tire of reading you posting that quote, G_j

Any book by Howard Zinn you would recommend? I've read nothing of him.

[G_j]

36. his best known book is "A People's History of the United States"

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_People's_History_of_the_United_States

A People's History of the United States is a 1980 non-fiction book by American historian and political scientist Howard Zinn. In the book, Zinn seeks to present American history through the eyes of the common people rather than political and economic elites. A People's History has been assigned as reading in many high schools and colleges across the United States.[1] It has also resulted in a change in the focus of historical work, which now includes stories that previously were ignored.[2] The book was a runner-up in 1980 for the National Book Award. It has been frequently revised, with the most recent edition covering events through 2005. In 2003, Zinn was awarded the Prix des Amis du Monde Diplomatique for the French version of this book, Une histoire populaire des États-Unis.[3] More than two million copies have been sold.

In a 1998 interview, Zinn said he had set "quiet revolution" as his goal for writing A People's History. "Not a revolution in the classical sense of a seizure of power, but rather from people beginning to take power from within the institutions. In the workplace, the workers would take power to control the conditions of their lives."[4] In 2004, Zinn edited a primary source companion volume with Anthony Arnove, entitled, Voices of a People's History of the United States.
----


a wonderful book, http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0807071277, and a documentary,
"You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times"
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0416825/

[hamsterjill]

11. Yes, we certainly do need to care for one another!

Thank you for caring for your neighbor. Pay it forward, and it will always come back to you.

[Aerows]

12. Maybe

at least somebody has an easier journey for a little while.

[hamsterjill]

14. Sometimes, I am amazed...

Here's why...

I have a sliding glass door right now that is giving me fits!!! I'm completely serious, too. I would LOVE IT if there was someone who could come in and fix it for me without me having to call a repairmen.

You may never know the true extent of what your act of kindness meant to your neighbor. It was GOOD thing that you did!

[Aerows]

16. Could you describe the problem?

I'm pretty good at fixing things if I know what the problem is. If we figure out the problem, we can likely get a good repair person over there, but unfortunately, it won't be me. Unless you live around here. LOL.

[hamsterjill]

17. Well thank you.

I, unfortunately KNOW what the problem is. The rollers need to be replaced. They've just worn out. House is older, etc. (I've already tried silicone spray, cleaned the track, and tried adjusting the door up and down).

I like to do as much home repair myself as I can. I have a difficult schedule and it's hard for me to be at home any length of time to wait for a repair person, etc. I may tackle this myself, but I'm afraid the door will need to be lifted out of the track, and I'm not sure I'm capable to doing that myself.

I wish you DID live near by!!! LOL I could put your to work doing all kinds of neighborly things!!!

[Aerows]

21. Well, I don't know how old the tracks are

or how bad the rollers have gotten, but if you have someone that can lift the glass off of the tracks and spray it with silicon on the rollers, it will at least last a few years.

I am not recommending anything that I haven't seen, but that's what I'd do. If you need a silicon spray I can probably find one for you. It might also need to be filed a bit to have the tracks fit, but I'm just speculating and haven't seen it to be sure. Silicon spray is your best option, and the easiest, if you haven't already used it.

I'd suggest this from Lowe's:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_235860-1409-M914_0__

[Aerows]

23. And I'm just suggesting things that might help

I'm not there to see, so these are just suggestions!

[Aerows]

29. Oh, I see you've already gone the silicone spray route

Well, I can't offer any information you don't already know. I'd replace the rollers, file the tracks, and go from there, and maybe think about replacing them, which really isn't that costly.

[hamsterjill]

32. I wish it had just been something the silicone would have fixed!!!

But, unfortunately, my door is beyond that. The rollers are practically nothing at the home improvement store, so at least I'm luck in THAT respect.

Thanks for your information in any event.

[Aerows]

34. If I was close by

I'd help you out. It's not horribly difficult to fix.

[polly7]

13. You go, sis.

I love seeing these acts of kindness and I'd have expected nothing less from my sister from another mother ... and father. LOL.

[Aerows]

15. Always will try to be good, sister :)

Seriously, it took ten minutes to fix.

[malaise]

18. LOL

Very nice

Rec

[Aerows]

19. My grandmother would have killed me

if I accepted money for helping a neighbor. Now, mind you, it got technical, but still she would have been appalled if I accepted money. It's the neighborly thing to do.

[malaise]

20. I agree 100%

You did the right thing.

[Aerows]

35. Thanks, my friend

I got flack down thread for NOT accepting money. What on EARTH? What are they teaching people these days?

[MineralMan]

22. Good on ya, mate!

I never miss an opportunity to help neighbors with anything I'm qualified to help with. My last job was fixing my neighbor's garage door. It just needed a new roller and bracket installed. Took me less than an hour, including a trip to the hardware store. She gave me a plate of cookies last Christmas. It all works out.

[Aerows]

24. I'll work for biscuits

Not cookies. I'm not fond of sweets, but I'll go out of my way for biscuits and white gravy

[MineralMan]

25. A good biscuit is a very valuable thing, indeed.

Good for trade purposes, and good for the consumer, too.

My grandmother made the best biscuits I have ever eaten. Her secret: Lard as the shortening.

I make biscuits her way, using lard, but they're never as good as my memory of her biscuits. Grandmothers have secrets we cannot know, and now that they're gone, we'll never know them. All we have is the memories, but they're as tasty as ever.

[Aerows]

27. That sounds phenomenally

yummy )

I love cabbage, too, but I'm the only one in the family that loves it.

[darkangel218]

26. Maybe your neighbour has alot of money

And $100 is like $10 to them. I would have taken the money :p

[Aerows]

28. That isn't the point, my dear

did it occur to you that I live next door to a supposed wealthy woman?

[darkangel218]

30. Im not sure what "the point" is, but i wouldve taken the money.

It was offered to you, right?

Anyway, that's what I would've done.

[Aerows]

31. Okay

I guess I'm a nerd.