the little things...we do.

[Nina]

Now that we've vent off some peeves, let's look at some of the ways we pass out a little love and care, here and there.

I like to occassionally pay a toll for the car behind me.
I hold doors for anyone who needs it.
( I'm not a feminazi either, I like the door held for me too!)
I smile at strangers.
I'd rather try to see the good in someone rather than zeroing in on the flaws and faults. If I get in the mood to count faults, I always have enough of my own to keep me busy...

 

[VanillaCreme]

I didn't know you could pay a toll for a car behind you. That's rather nice of people to do. I barely wanted to pay the tolls for the car I was in.

Oh, I do hold doors open. Just to be nice.

 

[csmswhs]

hi Nina, i love it when people hold doors open. i remember one particular day/week, where i was having such a rotten time. the whole world was hard and cold for such a long period without any slight relief. then on another hard day filled with hardness, i was walking into a store and this man went out of his way to hold the door open for me. and he smiled too

i felt like i was in heaven. then, (shock) believe it or not, i went to another store and the same thing happened!!! i about fainted. it made me happy for the rest of the day

once i met a man who would carry little old ladies across busy intersections (in a big busy city)(i've found it hard enough to cross them myself in big cities), i thought that was cool!!!

 

[Nina]

Nilla--
It was a cool thing a lot of commuters use to do. I always just liked to do it for middle of the road cars though, I figured the folks with the luxury cars could pay their own tolls. It's changed a lot though, with the new Trans-pass plans and such. You have to be in the cash only lane....

Wandering--
I beg to differ... I've had arm fulls of stuff coming out of stores and it took way longer than 3 secs. to hold my door! I didn't once think the guy holding the door was a creep! I even had one man, help me get my stuff to my car! I still hold a soft spot in my heart for him, it was pouring rain and he still did it. Nice folks--LOVE em!

csmswhs--
Sometimes the tiniest thing can just make our day. I love the man carrying the older gals across the street. Now there is one dedicated, "nice-guy"!

 

[VanillaCreme]

There's a rule on holding doors, anything past 3 seconds is considered creepy by the opposite sex, unless it's for a handicapped/elderly.

I've never heard of that before.

What's with all these new rules and such? I've never heard of any of these ridiculous things. Really, 3 seconds.... What if they have a baby stroller and they're getting it through the door? Do you just let the door slam on the stroller? Last time I checked, going through a door didn't take that long...

All these crazy rules... Stop it all.

 

[Badjedidude]

There's a rule on holding doors, anything past 3 seconds is considered creepy by the opposite sex, unless it's for a handicapped/elderly.

That's bullshit. Sometimes I hold doors open for people when they're still halfway across the parking lot, and they always smile and thank me. I guess it must depend on the region, because where I'm from, if you hold a door for someone, you're being polite, no matter how long you hold the door.

 

[Nina]

((((((BJD))))) May men like you always be by a door when I come through loaded down with so many packages I can't even SEE the door!

Wandering--If folks, especially, tiny women who can't see over their packages, are loaded down and all but staggering to the door,...the timed creepy rule need NOt apply!

 

[Electric_Fusilier]

I have a weakness for giving homeless people money. Doesn't bother me if they want to go off and spend it on booze and drugs; it's not for me to judge. Thing is, it's not really down to altruism as such ... more a kind of empathy; I always have this feeling that I'm just a few short steps from homelessness myself.

Oh, and I often find myself saying 'thankyou' to automatic doors.

 

[SophiaGrace]

If someone drops something I try to help them pick it up. lol.

Once, there was this man behind me in the checkout-line at the comic book store and he bought me 80 dollars of comics. @_@

That ******* made my day. I mentally screamed to myself "what?!?!" and could barely see straight, not believing someone just paid 80 bucks for a stranger's comics. Apparently he was rich and does random acts of kindness for people like paying dinner for a family he sees at a restaurant.

 

[Nina]

Electric_F--
I've handed a few bucks over to homeless folks too. There use be this little woman that I saw most days while buying my lunch and I just asked her what kind of sandwich she'd like and got it for her. That went on for a couple of years at least twice a week. Then she just stopped showing up. I had a real urge to try and find out what happened to her. No one knew. I still wonder what ever became of her though...I need to get my manners with automatic doors in check though....I've yet to thank one of those poor, reliable mechanisms....I'm so ashamed....*drops head and wanders off*.......


SophiaG--
That was an amazing experience!! Stuff like that lets you know there are really decent folks out there.

 

[csmswhs]

I have a weakness for giving homeless people money. Doesn't bother me if they want to go off and spend it on booze and drugs; it's not for me to judge. Thing is, it's not really down to altruism as such ... more a kind of empathy; I always have this feeling that I'm just a few short steps from homelessness myself.

me too. i remember having a few thousand dollars with me on a trip to Boston. by the time i got home i had given most of it away.

 

[Nana]

It's the sweetest thing ever how people give money to strangers like nothing. I don't have money of my own, but it's something I have always wanted to do.

I do pretty normal things like picking things up for people who drop them and opening doors for people.

 

[Nina]

csmswhs--
THAT was a chunk of change to part with! Very generous...I've done a couple bucks here and there...nothing like that.

Nana--
Sometimes it's the littlest things that really brighten a day, even just returning a smile can make a difference for someone. I know it cheers me right up when someone just flashes me a grin for no reason at all.

 

[rayousha]

Agree on smiling at people... It could make the day slightly better especially for "invicible" people such as the cashier at the counter, security guard, waiter, cleaner etc. A real smile with eye contact not the automatic sort.

I also try to draw people out, being painfully shy myself when I was younger I initiate communication with the shy types (not creepy ones). Dubai is a fast-paced city with diverse culture so there are a lot of impatient people here, whenever I come across an "obvious" hesitant new comer looking a bit lost, I talk to them & give some encouragement.

 

[Nina]

Awww, rayousha, that doesn't surprise me a bit, that you would would do that. An absolute sweetie you are. A kind or helpful gesture is such a small thing, yet it makes all the difference in the world to some.

 

[Electric_Fusilier]

Nina - you mean you don't thank automatic doors when they open for you? Tut! And to think, I had you pegged as being good mannered...

 

[Nina]

Electric--
I am trying to redeem myself. I now not only remember a passing nod to the doors but I am currently giving my microwave a loving pat for heating up the endless cups of coffee/tea I consume in a day.