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marciacp: That happens a lot, doesn't it? I never give money to panhandlers. there was another instance where a guy approached me as I was getting out of my car. He said he was hungry and would I buy him some food. I said sure, follow me into Subway. I asked him what he wanted and he said he couldn't read very well. To make a long story short, I paid for his meal with a $20, then ended up giving him the change. The look on his face was priceless - he was dumbfounded. At the time I was working and could afford to do that. I know I'll get it back 10 fold.
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I hope you can find more things to give to him - he's honorable.
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Originally Posted by BarbaraTX
Last week a 50ish year old man came to my door and asked if he could rake the leaves in my front yard. Said he'd do a good job, needed money for his family. I said I only had a few dollars in my wallet (I had forgotten that I took some cash out a few days before.) I told him I'd give him some food to take home, (growing up, mom always told me, never turn someone away who asks for food), but he was on his bicycle and he needed feminine products for his wife and teen girls. I felt so bad - it was cold and drizzly. I told him I'd give him whatever was in my wallet. That's when I found the little bit of cash I had taken out. I gave him $15 (that left me with $3) and told him he didn't have to rake the leaves. I kept thinking about this guy and just knew I'd been taken. But I'd rather be taken than turn someone away that was really needy.
Well, he just showed up at my door and is mowing the yard and bagging up the leaves (he has one of those catchers on the mower). He dragged the mower, gas can, etc. behind his bike (still no car). My faith in people is renewed! Reminds me of my son, he was 18 at the time. Working the 11 to 7 am shift as a security guard. On his way home he fell asleep at the wheel. He went between two telephone poles and took out a row of hedges and stopped in the middle of a rather large Crepe Myrtle bush. After we got home, had the car towed. He went back there, worked almost all day digging out the roots of the hedge and chopping up the Myrtle bush. He offered to come back the next day and replant everything. The two elderly sisters said no, they were planning on hiring someone to take all those plants out anyways.....LOL He showed up there for weeks after working on their yard for free and lots of baked goods...LOL |
Stories like this really restore our faith in our fellow man doesn't it.
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How wonderful that you did that! I'm always a bit leary of that sort of thing, so it will help me to pause and maybe not make such a hasty decision about people. Thanks!
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This is a sweet and touching story, and I'm glad to know it turned out well for you and the man. However, our neighborhood watch organizations warn us not to open the door to strangers. Unfortunately, not all can be trusted, and there have been some ugly crimes. A person will knock on the door asking for work or to use the phone, and then two more will rush in from around the bushes and the homeowner is robbed or worse. Be careful, everyone. I know most people are descent, honest and hard working, but if you don't consider the possibility that someone may be otherwise, you and your family could suffer serious consequences. I have been more cautious and less trusting since neighbors across the street were burglarized. The man in your case could have left a note in the door offering to do the work and explaining the situation, and you could respond to that as you see fit. A lot of grocery stores have bulletin boards where people seeking this type of work can post their phone numbers. There are charity organizations and churches that are equipped to help desperate people. I'd rather donate to a food pantry that I know will use it properly than to a person who might just as well have taken the money and bought a bottle of booze, in which case it would have been no favor to him.
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Originally Posted by BarbaraTX
Last week a 50ish year old man came to my door and asked if he could rake the leaves in my front yard. Said he'd do a good job, needed money for his family. I said I only had a few dollars in my wallet (I had forgotten that I took some cash out a few days before.) I told him I'd give him some food to take home, (growing up, mom always told me, never turn someone away who asks for food), but he was on his bicycle and he needed feminine products for his wife and teen girls. I felt so bad - it was cold and drizzly. I told him I'd give him whatever was in my wallet. That's when I found the little bit of cash I had taken out. I gave him $15 (that left me with $3) and told him he didn't have to rake the leaves. I kept thinking about this guy and just knew I'd been taken. But I'd rather be taken than turn someone away that was really needy.
Well, he just showed up at my door and is mowing the yard and bagging up the leaves (he has one of those catchers on the mower). He dragged the mower, gas can, etc. behind his bike (still no car). My faith in people is renewed! |
God blessed you! And, God bless you!
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Awesome story and you are a saint.
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God Bless both you and that young man!
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