This story of grit and generosity should make even the grouchiest of people smile.
….and that’s how it’s done folks…at both ends. 
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Yes…Yes we are…and too often we lose site of this. We are good…
I had the opportunity to sit at the international terminal at O’hare airport two Christmas’ ago waiting to pick up my son from his flight in from Germany…where he studied a semester abroad. The thing I realized as I sat there. There we were…a microcosm of the world. Europeans, Asian’s, Arabs, and people of all walks of life. Without any government there…we were all just people of the world. A Chinese woman was trying to use the pay phone to call her family and let them know she was there. And the phone was not accepting her calling card. My wife gave the lady her cell phone, and helped her dial the number. NO share language between them, the call got made. The Chinese lady hugged my wife, and they went on their separate ways. Little acts of kindness mean so much. I saw on this day so many acts of civility and kindness from the people of the world it made my heart feel good. When I get down on the world I remember this moment. It keeps me grounded.
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I wish we saw more news like this.
Just post your diary.
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Point taken. 
I deal with people every day who think 6 blocks is too far to have to walk for a job so why should they work unless someone gives them a car.
I am waiting for the anecdote about standing behind someone in the queue at the supermarket only to see someone using foodstamps to buy a load of junk food and then proceed to pull out a wad of cash to buy alcohol or they walk out to a brand new top of the range SUV.
What I usually see is them using their welfare benefits card to buy a 72 oz soda, chips, and candy bars at the gas station and then whipping out cash to buy lottery tickets.
And there it is!
O[quote=“TriggerWarning, post:9, topic:7675, full:true”]
What I usually see is them using their welfare benefits card to buy a 72 oz soda, chips, and candy bars at the gas station and then whipping out cash to buy lottery tickets.
[/quote]
Of course you do. These days a lot of states use the same card to load up child support etc so you really have no idea if they are using welfare benefits.
Do you also follow them out and see them getting into a brand new SUV? The story is not complete unless they own a luxury vehicle.
Lol it would be funny if someone turned around and asked what the â– â– â– â– are you doing staring at them or a female called you a perv.
I just have this vision of conservatives stood in line craning their necks to see what payment method people are using, taking inventory of what they other person has in their trolley and staring in a really weird â– â– â– â– â– â– yo way. LOL it makes me laugh anyway.
Walter Carr is an amazing young man to set out on a walk estimated to be 8 hours.
Kudos to law enforcement for giving him assistance.
Been there done that with the child support when I had to have my exes wages garnished. But do you know what else you can do with your child support payments from the state, its called direct deposit into your checking account which is something many poor people don’t have because of their poor credit, history of bouncing checks, etc. I received a benefits card when the garnishment started yet it never received a dime on it because I also filled out a direct deposit form that went into the same checking account I’ve had for over 30 years now at the same bank.
My job takes me into many poor people’s houses every single day of the week. Do you know what I see in the vast majority of them: overflowing ashtrays, lottery tickets, a gazillion DVD’s on cheap shelving, and far more pets than a house their size should have. Its really tough to have sympathy or even fake sympathy when you see this multiple times every single day of the week.
If you think I’m making things up then consider why study after study shows that the vast majority of cigarettes and lottery tickets are sold to the poor. I suppose you could theorize that they are poor because they sink all their money into those things but both are commonly known as “poor people taxes.”
One thing that isn’t usually true about the poor people on welfare stereotypes is them driving nice cars. Most tend to drive 1990’s Pontiac Grand Prix or Buick Lesabres (or similar junk car) that barely run and are falling apart. But the cigarettes, too many expensive pets, lottery tickets, and the rest tends to be true. Except amongst the hispanic poor. I’m in their houses a lot too and they seem to be far more frugal and responsible with their money. Their houses tend to be a lot cleaner too. Maybe having come from severe poverty in Mexico they understand better to use what money they have wisely whereas the white trash American poor just expects the government to support them.
Another way to see that what I’m saying is true. Just find out where your local food bank or soup kitchen is at and what time they open. Watch the line outside and count the number smoking vs the number not smoking. Unless its a no smoking zone the smokers will outnumber the non smokers at least 3-1 and probably 5-1 if your being fair and not counting small children as non smokers.
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What is your job…judgemental snobish cigarette and lottery ticket counter?
Read about this. Put a smile on my curmudgenly face.
I used to think most people were inherently good. I am not happy to say, at times, I am not at all certain that is true.
I do graze a lot if media sources each day and I do see many good stories. Stories with happy endings. Stories that renew ones faith in humanity. But dang. Some times it seems they are too few and far between.
Sometimes I will deliberately block out the news, sort of a decompression from the “if it bleeds it leads” cycle. I take time to shake off the bad. Then I try to remember that for every “happy” story that does get covered there are no doubt dozens and dozens that don’t make it on the air.
It would be nice. Seems like the only times we get feel good stories is when someone is rescued after a disaster.
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Bad boys, bad boys what ya gonna do when they come for you. (and your welcome if that song is in your head now).
On an average shift I’m in about 10-15 people’s homes. Every single day. And usually in poor neighborhoods as thats where most calls for service come from. So yeah, I have a huge base of experience to draw from.
You can theorize or argue as the reasons but its statistically true beyond any shadow of a doubt that poor people smoke cigarettes fare more than wealthy. Every other day or so I end up in a rich person’s home, virtually never see evidence of cigarette smoking. Almost without fail when at a poor person’s home handling a call they are smoking while I’m talking to them.
Or how about some charts from the CDC showing that smoking is far far more prevalent amongst the poor which is exactly what I’m saying.
I find it awfully convenient that whenever these anecdotal stories rear their head the teller has perfect examples of how they have these stories including they classic I have a friend of family member on welfare and a job that brings them in perfect proximity to the poor so they can make these observations.
Sorry mate but I don’t believe a word of what you are saying. Every angle of your anecdotal evidence just has too much perfect evidence. It seems every aspect of your life is designed to bring you into contact with the poor.
There will always be people who take advantage of any assistance e whether it’s benefits or tax loopholes. Doesn’t matter what social strata you are from there are inherently dishonest people who will always take advantage. Do you think that somehow the middle and upper classes are lesser dishonest. Pick up any newspaper and daily you will read stories of charity trustees, church officials, firemen, policemen, teachers being convicted of crimes.
