What $5 did...

[CoffeeCat]

Yesterday, my husband and I took our kids to McDonald's for $1.49 Happy Meals. While
we were leaving, my husband said, "Here's $5. Let's give it to the woman who cleans
up this place. She always works so hard". My husband is pretty shy and I think he
felt self conscious giving the money to her, so I agreed.

I almost didn't give it to her. As I was walking toward her, I thought to myself,
"This is only five dollars. She'll probably think I'm a bit nutty for giving her
a measly $5. It's just $5."

However, I did it anyway. I got her attention and I told her that we appreciated
all of her hard work and to think of it as a small tip that she greatly deserved.

This sweet old woman put her hand on her heart and let out a sigh. With tears in her eyes
she said, "Thank you. You don't know how much this helps". It was as if I'd given her a million
dollars.

This woman (and my husband) reminded me that everyone can make a big difference, with even the
smallest of acts.

[GardeningGal]

1. Great thing you did.

I'm sure it made a big difference to her.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. To you and your hubby!

:thumbsup:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. K&R.. and the same $5. buys me something priceless: HOPE...

"You must be the change you want to see in the world. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." ~Mahatma Gandhi~

you and your husband show the primary difference between Democrats and Republicans or Right and Left.

Senate Panel Adds Tax Cuts, Deferred-Pay Rule to Minimum Wage
Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Senate Finance Committee voted to add $8.3 billion in tax breaks for small businesses to legislation that would increase the minimum wage... by $2.10, to $7.25, over two years, the first such increase in a decade.

Other tax cuts include an increase to $112,000 the amount of equipment businesses can expect on their tax returns in a single year rather than depreciate over time... allowing restaurants and retailers to deduct improvements to buildings over 15 years, rather than the 39-year schedule under current law.

[poverlay]

4. Well Played! What a fantastic husband you must have. n/t

[cboy4]

5. That's cool! Great example of the difference between a progressive

and a conservative . . .

Your husband was concerned about her well being, while a Republican would have been trying to determine whether she was an illegal "alien" and should be reported to the authorities.

[hlthe2b]

6. you put a tear in my eye, too

kudos to you and thank you.

[calimary]

24. Me too! We all need to take care of one another.

Even a little bit means SO MUCH. Hell, even just the GESTURE means so much.

MANY blessings to you!

[tblue37]

7. The other day I was coming out of the local Walgreen's

when a man approached me to ask if I could help him and his wife. They were out of gas, he said, and needed money for a gallon of gas.

Maybe they were scamming me, but my feeling was that if a couple needed to scam someone for the cost of a gallon of gas, then they needed a couple of dollars way more than I did. I had $3 in cash, so I gave them that. It was 5 degrees outside, and the wind-chill factor made it a -11. Even if they were scamming me, they were freezing their asses off to do it. You'd have to be pretty desperate to do that, so I am perfectly happy to have given them the money.

During the Christmas holidays, I took to carrying quarters and Sacagawea dollars in my coat pockets, because like many people these days, I use my debit card and carry almost no cash in my wallet. I realized that was a problem the first time I walked by a Salvation Army kettle and discovered I didn't have any change or small bills to drop in as I usually do during the Christmas season. I apologized to the bell ringer and commented that debit cards probably put a real damper on kettle collections these days. He said that was true, and told me several people had mentioned they had no cash because they mainly used their debit cards.

[LibDemAlways]

8. One day I was filling up my tank when a really

old barely functioning car pulled up at the next pump. The driver got out, walked to the window and gave the attendant all he could spare (or what he had) - $2.00 - which obviously wasn't going to get him very far. The man behind him in line saw what was happening and without hesitation gave the attendant an extra $20.00 to help the guy out. The driver's eyes filled with tears and he must have said "Bless you" about 50 times. He also said that when he got back on his feet, he'd be sure to repay the favor by helping out someone else.

Yes, there are plenty of scam artists out there, and it's hard to tell the difference, but there's no question those who have should be sharing what they can with those who don't.

[pitohui]

15. yes that's the right way to handle it

there is no doubt the gas went to someone in need who could benefit in this case

it isn't really that hard to tell the difference, in my experience, a guy who actually has a car that he is limping to the gas station is way different than the drug addict who doesn't even appear to have a vehicle and when you offer to drive him over and put the gas in the car suddenly there's some reason why it can't happen!

a little common sense can help make sure your $$$ goes to those in real need

[Th1onein]

27. You'll probably disagree, but I give money to drug addicts, too.

I think, "Who am I to judge their needs?" I am so lucky that I don't have that "monkey on my back." I give them money whether they are drug addicts or not. If they ask, I give. Period. And I always try to give much, much more than they would expect. Maybe, just maybe, one of them just needs to know that someone in this world cares enough to really give, instead of just some spare change.

On the other hand, I rarely give to large organizations. I prefer to look into the eyes of those I give to, and to know it is going directly to them, and not for overhead, etc.

[pitohui]

14. that is a VERY common scam in some areas

esp. you may find it in the western states and, yeah, often a couple, even a couple w. baby!

i ask to see the car and offer to put in the gas myself

that's when they go find another mark

the OP's post is a little different, she's tipping someone who is actually working, which is a kind way to say "thank you," she is not funding a scammer who probably makes more than she does

it's pretty easy to see if the gas scam is for real because if it is, the person would actually want to be taken to their car with the tin of gas so they can get it in the car, that's way more useful than a few bucks and they still have to get the gas to the car halfway down the interstate

[tblue37]

18. Actually, the couple

were in an old beat up car in the parking lot of the store. Again, my feeling was that if they were out there in frigid weather to scam the price of a gallon of gas, they probably needed that $3 I gave them far more than I did.

[MsUnderstood]

28. I've had the gas scam before

Not trying to hijack the story but here is my outta gas experience:

I went to albertsons (grocery store) and a nice guy approached, said he was outta gas could I spare $2 (I did).

2 weeks later at the same store, same parking lot, same guy needing some change for gas.

Its hard for me to feel as sorry for guys outta gas now (and I could tell more stories about beggars approaching me in similar fashion with similar stories and I've had friends who've been attacked and verbally abused by beggars)

These days, I limit my kindness to being kind to the cashiers, patient with the clerks, and polite to the customers (holding doors, smiling, making eye contact) cause I know they are working a lot harder than me for a lot less.

I don't make eye contact or open my wallet for signs on the street corner about homeless veteran starving with 2 kids and a dog. My daughter doesn't quite understand why I don't give any to the homeless but I'd rather give kindness away. . .allows me to donate to better charities and keeps me outta dangerous situations.

[Sapphire Blue]

9. All too often, service workers are taken for granted, invisible...

... paid little, for grueling work. I am sure that your tip of "just $5" was much appreciated.

But, even more... you saw this worker. That means a lot... it can feel like a million dollars to know that one is appreciated.

:hug:

[rateyes]

10. Cool.

[here_is_to_hope]

11. It may have seemed like a small

amount but as I understand it, sometimes 5.00 is an extra hours' pay, yeah, I wouldnt mind that!

When I was but a wee democrat growing up in Venice Beach, my mother would take me down to the boardwalk for long walks and what not. I remember her once dropping a few dollars on the ground behind a homeless woman and then casually tapping the woman on the shoulder, she told her, "honey, you dropped something, better put it deeper in your pocket".
To this day I do the same thing, drop a few bucks and then let them know "you dropped something, better keep it deeper in your pocket." Its an easy way to give someone a few dollars without actually being asked. Its easy to see a need, no?
Of course, Karma spins:
I was heading into an antique mall in Billings, Montana once and there was a homeless man shuffling along in front of me, I dropped a five and did the "excuse me" thing, he picked it up and muttered thanks. I went in to the store and picked up a few things and brought them to the counter. The owners of the store had seen me "give" the man money, laughed about how I did it and I got an unexpected discount when I checked out.

As the op found out, it doesnt take much to really make a difference.

[tblue37]

21. When I was a child we were quite poor--

a family of 8 living on an enlisted man's salary.

One time my mother lost a $20 in a dime store. She was devastated, since that was all the money she had to feed us with that week. In the 1950s, $20 was a very large sum. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was all the money she had to use for more than a week. Imagine losing one or two hundred today. That is what it felt like to her.

She traced her steps back to every place we had been, with 6 young kids (including an infant and a 1-year-old) in tow. The clerk at the dime store had found the money and saved it for her, bringing Mom such a gush of relieved tears.

In 1975, as a college GTA, I found a folded up $10 bill that had obviously fallen out of someone's pocket in a stall in the lady's room. Remembering my Mom's loss of the $20, I left a note on the mirror saying I had found some money, and if the person could tell me how much and in what condition, I would return it.

The woman who contacted me was actually one of my own students! She was a single mother of a 2-year-old. She was working part-time for the grounds crew at our university, and had that $10 folded up in the front chest pocket of her overalls when it fell out. Just as with my mom, the loss of that $10 was a very big deal to this young woman.

When you are just scraping by, a few dolalrs can mean quite a lot.

[nashville_brook]

12. omg -- what a beautiful act of kindness

i'm all choked up... nicely done!

[chaska]

13. kick. Feel the love, ya'll.

[demigoddess]

16. That is the way to do it.

I especially liked the 'you must have dropped this, put it deeper in your pocket " approach. One thing I was taught is make charity look like it isn't charity. Tips and gift cards and you must have dropped this are all good ways to help people.

[Horse with no Name]

17. We frequent a Mexican food restaurant at work

and we usually order 15-20 orders at a time.
I went to pick up the food a couple of weeks before Christmas, and one of the busboys helped me carry it to my car.
He was a middle-aged Hispanic man with very broken English.
I turned to give him a tip for carrying it to my car...and he kept refusing it.
Finally I told him that I insisted that he take it---just because it was Christmas and it would be rude not to indulge my Christmas spirit.
He finally took it...but not after many "thank you's".
Now, when it is my turn to pick up the food...he will carry it out.
I only have to chide him once or twice to take the tip.;)
I've been broke before. I know that you can feed two kids for two days on $5.
It means alot when payday is 3 days away and you are broke.
Bless you guys. What a nice thing you did.

[Swamp Rat]

19. k&r

:cry: :hug:

[BuyingThyme]

20. kcik

[Jeffersons Ghost]

22. I never speak or write of charity that I offer but i'm glad all of you did...

Charity, can also come from acceptance.

Less than a year ago, there was a knock at the door. Peering through a peep-hole, I saw a late-model Mercedes in the driveway and a very attractive woman at my door. Realizing that no one working with the NSA had such class, taste in attire or good looks, I quickly opened the door. In her arms, she held a small Benji-like dog. "Is this your dog?" she asked.

To say Benji-like is misleading because the dog was smaller, with longer fur. I quickly told the woman that I did not have a dog. Then, she sadly replied, "I found the dog locked inside a fence at some mini-storage units close by and I've already been to every other home in this vicinity. Since no one claims this animal, I guess I'll take it to the humane-society because i am heading back to Florida today."

I did not want or need a dog but I know exactly how many animals die on their first day in our local humane society (85%) and it was troubling for me to think of the small dog as one of them. As one might surmise, I let her leave the cute female dog. Perhaps it would find its way home, if it lived close by, I mused. Those thoughts were correct. Taffy, as I began to call her, did find a home close by; mine.

She is high-maintenance, with all that fur and has a skin condition. which requires special care and frequent bathing but the dog is smart, playful, loving and loyal to a fault. It took only days to teach her several basic words; like sit, up, down, outside and inside but it took months before she came near a door if I was close to it. Someone, it seems, had employed brutal methods in attempting to house-break her. All I did to house-break the dog was insure that she went outside the first few times: It took almost 3 days.

Little in life has brought me more joy than this small animal. It is widely said that "the true gift is in the giving." In an odd sort of paradox, I've found that accepting a responsibility, which another chose to cast off, in a spirit of generosity, also offers a priceless gift.

PS. I made up the crap about the NSA. That notion never occurred to me but adding it to the otherwise true story was irresistible.

Taffy looks almost exactly like this:

[lildreamer316]

23. The unexpected kindness of strangers..

has been our sving grace this past year.

I love you all.:hug:

[yowzayowzayowza]

25. Gawd. Killing time at Wendy's a few weeks ago...

...can't help overhearing a coupla lil ol ladies chatting across the room. They seemed to be deciding on quantities of items from the dollar menu. I assumed the were purchasing for a kidz party er sum such. 'Bout the time my truck repairs were due to be done, I realized they were actually negotiating their food budget for the next week, apparently a qty of frozen Tx Dbl Chz & Ckn Ngts. I wuz aghast for hours. On the way out I bumped a chair in the aisle and steadied myself on the edge of their table. Apologized, dropped a palmed $20 on the table and stepped out.

[mikelewis]

26. Muhammad Yunus won the nobel prize after realizing the same thing...

He engineered the micro-loan banking system that loaned out very small sums to the poor in India. He's been an inspiration and savior to many poor and inspired the same model in numerous countries. Here's his bio...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Yunus#Founding_the_Grameen_Bank

[Liberty Belle]

29. I gave a waitress who looked troubled a generous tip. She hugged me and her story spilled out.

She had just failed a test and was about to lose her job. She failed a drug test given at a hospital - after the hospital gave her a morphine shot for pain from a car accident.

The woman has 8 children and was worried how she would feed them. We talked some more, and she told of horrific violence in her family - of losing two sisters who were murdered by their husbands. So no one else to turn to.

She is a religious woman with a strong faith, but tears came to her eyes and she thanked me over and over -- all for a $5 tip on a small breakfast bill in Memphis.