"Good Samaritanisms": Things you've done to help someone at the moment or to prevent "could-happen" problems in the future. Karma?

[Woncrinklz]

Scenario #1.
If you think of it, picking up a nail you see in a parking lot saves your car tire or someone else's from a flat—New tire$25.00-$80.00+/depending on the tire or fix-it job. Just think: This simple act you did can buy an extra case of diapers rather than pay for a new tire just for picking up that stupid screw or nail/whatever.
Scenario #2.
You're in a good neighborhood. Then you see a distressed-looking older man standing at an intersection at a stoplight to your side. He looks worried. He's had many chances to cross but still stands there. You see him attempt, then pull back and wait.
Do you pull over (I was in my car) and help him?
I did.
Is it stupid to be a "good samaritan" nowadays? A waste of time? Is it considered odd or unwise? Is it even done any more for anything?

Does it help in your future good luck or karma? I wonder. It feels great, though, to help people.

 

[Belarin]

I personally wish that more people would be more considerate of things like this, the simplest most innocuous acts can have the biggest impact.

Your scenario 1 for example: there's a nail in the road you think oh I'll just pick that up, an hour later an ambulance comes hurtling along on the way to a life threatening situation, it gets there it time so save someone's life now, had the nail not been picked up that same ambulance runs over it causing a puncture and delaying them that person they were going to now dies because they were not there in time.
That person nor the paramedic will ever know that it was there or that you picked it up but by doing so you have saved a life
.
The domino effect is a crazy thing you just never know what such a small act of kindness/courtesy/generosity etc. can do or how far it will go.

I also love the whole pay it forward thing too.

Scenario 2: you pull over and help the old man across the road, as you wait for a safe time you start talking and discover the man is rather grouchy you stop a while and carry on chatting anyway he opens up a bit and you discover he's mostly alone in the world, by giving him some friendly company find he's actually a really nice old man just missing social interaction. Later that day he's feeling really upbeat because of your chat and standing in a checkout queue behind a mother who can't afford the bill for her food, having a lifetime of saving and being in such a good mood he offers to cover it for her, that night 3 children eat a good meal who otherwise wouldn't and so on.

Unfortunately most people these days are too self obsessed or absorbed in their online persona (nose to the phone) to even notice things like this, oh they say they'd help or they they care for the "internet karma" but when it get's down to it they just don't see the world before their eyes,
Then there are those who really just don't care or worse like to cause problems, and those who would like to help but are afraid of retribution especially in this #Metoo era and dare I say it the the feminist movement, don't get me wrong I'm not against that but too many people take it to an extreme for example there are plenty of stories floating around of men holding a door open for a woman and being yelled at and even abused/physically assaulted for trying to push their misogyny on the woman as an act of dominance/power, all they are trying to do is be polite.

Well done for pulling over to help, if more people took action on these little things the world would be so much better.

 

[fleckothefennec]

One time I saw an old man wandering in the parking lot of the marina my sailboat was moored at. I asked him if he was looking for something and he informed me he wanted to rent a row boat. There were no row boats for rent I told him, what do you want with one? He informed me that his best friends wife had died a year ago and him and his friend put the ashes in the bay adjacent, he had promised to do the same with his friend when he had passed. He had a bag which contained the friends ashes. I told him I could help him and brought him down to my sailboat then launched my rowboat from its davits. I rowed him out and gave him his space to deposit his friend.

I never saw that old man again and I hope he rests is the bay with his friend and his wife now. I will never forget him or his devotion, I'm glad I was there to help him complete his promise

 

[Woncrinklz]

One time I saw an old man wandering in the parking lot of the marina my sailboat was moored at. I asked him if he was looking for something and he informed me he wanted to rent a row boat. There were no row boats for rent I told him, what do you want with one? He informed me that his best friends wife had died a year ago and him and his friend put the ashes in the bay adjacent, he had promised to do the same with his friend when he had passed. He had a bag which contained the friends ashes. I told him I could help him and brought him down to my sailboat then launched my rowboat from its davits. I rowed him out and gave him his space to deposit his friend.

I never saw that old man again and I hope he rests is the bay with his friend and his wife now. I will never forget him or his devotion, I'm glad I was there to help him complete his promise

Your story and Belarin's made a significant impact on me. I hope their souls were happy and scattered "Happy Energy" over you! Actually, I know they did.
I felt kind of weird as a stranger-dude walking to help someone. I look simple, dress simple. So no biggy.

But it's so true what is said here.
People are too self-involved now with phones and media plug-ins that it seems they, some of them anyway; don't notice the real world around them. I think (hope) people like you and I and others stay the considerate route still. It's fun, feeds the soul, and helps paste the cracks in the "ME" world.
I'm afraid of women, in that they don't....( captain shut-up came to my mind) well, it's polite to open doors for a man and a woman. I do. Screw it. I hold doors for any "race or sex or walk of life (I'm considerate more to a fault with animals)," and I'd be there for ANYONE. So, it's cool.

BUT: I am afraid of the thoughts I get when I watch shows about getting murdered when you help someone at the side of the road. That, I won't do. Unless it's obvious there is some terrible accident.
Funny enough: I keep a can of dog food and cat food in my trunk, a first aid kit, an air-breather mask, and misc. stuff in case I come upon something that needs quick "dealing with it" stuff. (I am Red Cross CPR/First Responder Certified GEEK, I guess). I also have a car battery-based powered air compressor for flats since the gas stations nowadays don't have workable air. But, yeah.

 

[Belarin]

That reminds me I need to get a new pocket first aid kit, used to carry one around (small pouch with only the most essential pieces) everywhere but it started falling apart.

 

[ade]

Some people just seem to be blessed, be they good or bad.
I'm not (blessed, that is) but I'll still go out of my way to help people and critters.
I'll pick up stray elastic bands (cos critters mistake them for worms) and move broken glass and anything sharp.
The only good that I get out of it is the sense that I've maybe done a little bit to help avoid others' pain, and put a little right in this world of wrongs.

And sometimes, the cost to me can be fairly immediate.
I once helped a woman who had broken down in fast-flowing, heavy traffic at a junction. Nobody stopped to help her, just beeped, shouted and gestured.
I stopped, though, and I got her underway and shepherded her back to her street, despite her accidentally reversing into my car, putting her towbar through my bumper in the process.
No big deal, but that's instant karma for you.
A smile or nod of thanks is enough for me.

 

[chamberpot]

Doing good unto others is what life is all about, Karma almost always will find you for either the good or bad that you do. I very often help others for nothing more then the good feeling it gives me the rest of the day, or week or even years. I look back at times that were hard on me and people who helped me out. life is short live a good life.