The best award I have ever received.

hallmarkgrad wrote:Over the years I have received a few awards and "Thank you" types of letters.
I really try to be nice to people. It doesn't always happen. I am human. A week ago a persons car broke down almost in my front yard. The guy was in a real panic. All I did was talk to him for awhile let him charge his phone and be nice. He called a wrecker and he was gone. I wish I could show you what I found on my windshield yesterday. This was printed in pencil on the back of a old envelope. " Hi Mister I did not get you name but wanted to thank you for being so kind that day when my car broke down. Thank you"
Many times when we do small things for people it really affects them. 99% of the time we never hear the results nor do we really want to.
I am going to frame this envelope to remind my self that little things do matter
I am a lucky man..............thanks

Thats a nice thing. Its important to be generous with your time,love, kindness and cash if you have it. These are the things that make the world a better place to live in. All of those things embody the true meaning of charity and doing the work of the Lord. And its fun and it gives you a good feeling inside, much better feeling than counting your money, staring at jewlry or having anything imho.


[b]

And I want to thank Hallmarkgrad for crawling down into the cramped and dirty bilge of my boat yesterday and cutting one of my fuel tanks open so we could repair it. I am amazed at how precious and unselfish friends can be... he is amazing!

He is a good man and we are privileged that he shares time with us.

Nice job Hallmark. Good to be sharing the same community as you. Years ago my sister was in the parking lot of her university having spent half the day trying to jumpstart a battery that was deader than Lincoln. She recounts sitting on the hood of the car, desolate and thinking that if she all but skipped eating for a couple of weeks and sold some textbooks she could buy a battery and pay for the tickets that would mount while the bones of her car sat there.

She was just pulling the last of her things out of her car when an older gentleman got out of his with a brand new battery. He had been watching the scene from his house while people had tried to come to her aid through the day. When he saw it was a lost cause, he went to an auto parts store and bought the battery.

She tried to refuse him but he told her his daughter was in Africa as part of the Peace Corps. He hoped that with his kindness, someone would do the same for her if she ran into trouble over there. My sister retells the story whenever she tries to help someone who is hesitant to take a leg up. Good things to you in return, Hallmark.

Soleil wrote:Years ago my sister was in the parking lot of her university having spent half the day trying to jumpstart a battery that was deader than Lincoln.

Off-topic, but I have to tell a story. A few years ago, my son Nick called and said he had problems with mom's car and couldn't get it started. He said it wasn't the battery because a mechanic was helping him with jumper cables and it didn't help... "must be something else", he said.

I told him I would grab the jump box and be right there. He let out an audible sigh and said it "didn't need a jump"... I could tell he was thinking stupid dad didn't listen.

When I got there, I popped the hood, hooked up the jump box and the car started right up. He was amazed and asked my why it started when their efforts were wasted.

I just said, "poor jumper cables". The difference was that the so-called mechanic had lightweight Walmart jumper cables and my jumpbox had short, thick cables with heavy duty clamps. Cheap jumper cables do not deliver much amperage. If I use jumpers, I try to use cables that are extremely heavy and are made with welding cables.

Nice story and nice ending, Hallmark. It's great when people show appreciation when someone helps them.

Yomama wrote:

Soleil wrote:Years ago my sister was in the parking lot of her university having spent half the day trying to jumpstart a battery that was deader than Lincoln.

Off-topic, but I have to tell a story. A few years ago, my son Nick called and said he had problems with mom's car and couldn't get it started. He said it wasn't the battery because a mechanic was helping him with jumper cables and it didn't help... "must be something else", he said.

I told him I would grab the jump box and be right there. He let out an audible sigh and said it "didn't need a jump"... I could tell he was thinking stupid dad didn't listen.

When I got there, I popped the hood, hooked up the jump box and the car started right up. He was amazed and asked my why it started when their efforts were wasted.

I just said, "poor jumper cables". The difference was that the so-called mechanic had lightweight Walmart jumper cables and my jumpbox had short, thick cables with heavy duty clamps. Cheap jumper cables do not deliver much amperage. If I use jumpers, I try to use cables that are extremely heavy and are made with welding cables.

Yomama likes his jumper cables like his margaritas: heavy duty.

[quote="Yomama"]

Soleil wrote:Years ago my sister was in the parking lot of her university having spent half the day trying to jumpstart a battery that was deader than Lincoln.

Off-topic, but I have to tell a story. A few years ago, my son Nick called and said he had problems with mom's car and couldn't get it started. He said it wasn't the battery because a mechanic was helping him with jumper cables and it didn't help... "must be something else", he said.

I told him I would grab the jump box and be right there. He let out an audible sigh and said it "didn't need a jump"... I could tell he was thinking stupid dad didn't listen.

When I got there, I popped the hood, hooked up the jump box and the car started right up. He was amazed and asked my why it started when their efforts were wasted.

I just said, "poor jumper cables". The difference was that the so-called mechanic had lightweight Walmart jumper cables and my jumpbox had short, thick cables with heavy duty clamps. Cheap jumper cables do not deliver much amperage. If I use jumpers, I try to use cables that are extremely heavy and are made with welding cables.[/quote

This dude walks into a bar carrying a set of jumper cables, the bartender sorta glares at him and says, "Okay, fella, you can bring those in here just don't start anything!"

hallmarkgrad wrote:One day I guy brought me a ford truck to do a complete brake job. I said ok and he left it. It took me a couple of days but I did finish it. When I handed him a bill of 800 dollars he went ballistic. Damn It!!!!! The damn Ford dealer only wanted 400 to do the job.............Sure I know. I said... But they know what they are doing...It took me twice as long...LOL

I hated those springs on the old drum brakes. Those suckers were really hard to work with... even with the right tools. Of course, we all got a good dusting with asbestos too... ah, the good old days...

Hallmark, that was very nice of you to help yommama like that. Good freinds, good people.

Lots of heart warming stories.

speaking of good karma, I have to cross a toll bridge every day and early this week I went up and the lady said the lady in front paid for you. that was real nice it was a little thing but it was nice. i do beieve in paying it forward.

Beautiful stories, all.

I know some of you read my post last week about someone who "paid it forward" to me. Although I didn't need cash, I was deeply touched and encouraged by that person's generosity of spirit. I want that person to know I have since "paid it forward" to another person.

......and so one kind gesture is the beginning of a chain of similar gestures....!

PBulldog2 wrote:Beautiful stories, all.

I know some of you read my post last week about someone who "paid it forward" to me. Although I didn't need cash, I was deeply touched and encouraged by that person's generosity of spirit. I want that person to know I have since "paid it forward" to another person.

......and so one kind gesture is the beginning of a chain of similar gestures....!

That is wonderful. I truely beleive that its stuff like this that makes a difference in the world. we can use our gov for small things and it should stay that way, but the gov will never be able to replace the kindness and true generousity of the human spirit. if we as a society try to place that responsibility into the gov hands and think we are awashed of it, those will be sad days.

its good to have little reminders and see these stories

i also enjoy hearing about these guys freindships off line.