Where you raised poor or with a silver spoon?.

[RAWD]

Lauren, very touching story.

Tboy, you're a good soul. (btw, I spent many wonderful hours playing cardbox box "fort"/"space shuttle"/race car/etc. in our backyard. Good times....)

I am grateful for everything my folks did for us. I look at it as a privilege to be able to support them now, and give them things that they couldn't afford before.

 

[Lauren Summerhill]

I remember the feeling of "score" when someone bought a new fridge and we found the box sitting out front. We'd make a fort out of it and when it got too ratty to be a fort, we tore it up and used it as a sled to slide down a grassy hill......no xbox, no playstation, no internet. A fricken cardboard box.

OH MY GOD YES!!!

You want to know something disturbing?! I STILL FEEL THAT WAY! I love to finger paint (and with brushes too). And having nephews and nieces, it's very very exciting to come across such a box. I hit the crafts store and pick up paint, construction paper, sparkles, glue and pipe cleaners. We make space ships, boats, castles, thing-a-mijiggies. That isn't gone - I think that's parents being willing to teach their children the art of play from a young age. Hell I have two friend nearing their 30's who would come over to my house, crack a bottle of wine and paint a space ship on the box with me and climb in.

Actually your story about sliding down the grassy hill reminds me of something: Now this isn't a memory I have, I was too young. However, my siblings and I spent a part of our life in a refugee camp (we were fleeing our home country to come to Canada). It was winter, and my siblings wanted to go sledding, so they went to a junk yard and got an old refrigerator door - the actual DOOR. And apparently they clambered on, held me, and that's how we went downhill.

A perfect example of this is:
One time I was waiting at the Loblaws BBQ counter and an obviously homeless guy was in front of me. He asked the staff:
How much for a 3 pce meal? then counted his change.
How much for a 2 pce meal? then counted his change again.
How much for just a leg? when I interjected and said:
Give him a 3 pce meal, I got it.
I turned to him, go grab a drink out of the cooler. The whole thing came to something like $7.00

Bless your kind spirit. I only ever see this happen when there's a little kid in front of me in line, and do the same thing, because I adore their reactions.

I also agree about donating, I hate donating to big organizations. Too much of that money is spent on administration and doesn't get down to those that need it. Now I realize that the money supports employment, but still.

When I am making a choice to support the administration of an organization I believe in, I don't mind at all. However, when I want to give to someone directly, there is plenty of opportunity to do so.

 

[Lauren Summerhill]

I am grateful for everything my folks did for us. I look at it as a privilege to be able to support them now, and give them things that they couldn't afford before.

What a lovely philosophy! :great:

 

[smylee52]

.

We were so poor too that if I hadn't been born a boy, I'd have had nothing to play with!

.

 

[severeaddicted]

.

We were so poor too that if I hadn't been born a boy, I'd have had nothing to play with!

.

 

[Cycleguy007]

A perfect example of this is:
One time I was waiting at the Loblaws BBQ counter and an obviously homeless guy was in front of me. He asked the staff:
How much for a 3 pce meal? then counted his change.
How much for a 2 pce meal? then counted his change again.
How much for just a leg? when I interjected and said:
Give him a 3 pce meal, I got it.
I turned to him, go grab a drink out of the cooler. The whole thing came to something like $7.00 but at least I knew it was going into a crack pipe.......

I love those random acts of kindness! I also like to do those sorts of things...

Back at the previous company I worked for, we sponsored what we called the "Angel Tree" every Christmas. Basically the local childrens aid society would get the needy kids in the area to make "angels" with their name/ gender and age and we would hang them on a tree in our front lobby. Those that chose to participate could pick an angel off the tree and buy a $25 gift for them. The first year we did this, there were 8 angels left 2 days before the deadline... (I had previously picked 3 angels... of the same age and gender of my own children which THEY could select the gift for... at my expense of course, but I wanted to teach my children the concept of charity at the same time...)

Anyway, I felt sad that there were still 8 angels left, and I went out that evening and picked up the remaining gifts and dropped them off after hours. I did not want to call attention to myself... I just wanted to make a point. In fact it caused quite a stir amongst my co-workers the next day. Since all the presents were there waiting under the tree in the lobby for all to see the next morning. There was an anonymous note with the "" story pinned to the tree... I never let on that it was me that played Santa to those kids... and no one ever claimed responsibility for the act of kindness.

Every Christmas after that, all the angels disappeared from the tree the day they went up. I guess it worked.

 

[RAWD]

Awww, crap. That white rose story made me choke up. Just like the Christmas Shoes song. Tugs at the ole heartstrings something fierce :tongue:

Good folks around these parts!

 

[Slitman]

Damn that was a touching story. Just tears at your heart.

 

[Hugojoe]

There were days that we had to go to our relatives to have a decent meal. Rarely did I see my father, he worked 14 hour days through out our childhood years. Couldn't take seeing Mom crying all the time, took a paper route at 12 years old and delivered them before going to school. Friend of mine's brother had a cleaning company. Would borrow his equipment to wash and shampoo the interiors of cars on weekends at age 14. By 16 we had enough regulars and bought our own and hired friend students to work for us as demand for our services increased by word of mouth.

I am now a succesful entrepreneur at 24 but not with without many sweats and tears. I would not wish what I went through on anyone but such is fate.

 

[Jericho]

There were days that we had to go to our relatives to have a decent meal. Rarely did I see my father, he worked 14 hour days through out our childhood years. Couldn't take seeing Mom crying all the time, took a paper route at 12 years old and delivered them before going to school. Friend of mine's brother had a cleaning company. Would borrow his equipment to wash and shampoo the interiors of cars on weekends at age 14. By 16 we had enough regulars and bought our own and hired friend students to work for us as demand for our services increased by word of mouth.

I am now a succesful entrepreneur at 24 but not with without many sweats and tears. I would not wish what I went through on anyone but such is fate.

You remind me of someone I know. Maybe it's you because he was always horny. This site would suit him just fine :he:

 

[smylee52]

I remember a friend telling me that when he was a boy they had to walk a mile to school in the winter, up hill both ways , and all you could see was their hats sticking out over the top of the snowbanks as they walked down the street .
My first thought was " wow , you actually had hats " .

 

[Joseph]

No but my sister was.

 

[Tourist]

No but my sister was.

Your sister did a lot, but at least she didn't bump 2 year old threads. :biggrin2:

 

[Bridgette_xo]

I wouldn't say silver spoon but we weren't poor. Probably just shy of middle upper class. My parents were able to fund my expensive sport and we had extras like a cottage, went on some vacations, etc. We never went without as children.

I definitely try to do what I can for people that are doing without. I will buy the homeless food and hot chocolate or ask them if they need anything to eat. I used to buy a tray of hot chocolates on my way into work and hand them out as I walked. It's a good feeling to help someone even if all you can do is buy them a hot chocolate.