I have heard of giving the shirt off your back but never a pair of shoes. I saw this story a couple of days ago and think this guy has the right stuff.

Doubledee, 38, was driving the No. 24 bus down Portage Avenue near Fort Street early Tuesday morning when he spotted the barefoot man on the sidewalk. He'd seen him the day before, shoeless.

 

"I just couldn't imagine him going through that," Doubledee said. "It was cold, maybe seven degrees and he was barefoot. I had to help him. Anyone would have done it."

 

He pulled the bus over and got out to speak to the man. He estimates the stranger to be in his mid-40s, with shoulder-length hair worn in dreadlocks.

 

"I asked him, 'Do you have any shoes?' He said 'No.' I said, 'If I give you a pair of shoes, will you keep them?' He said he would."

 

So Doubledee pulled off his good leather shoes, the ones his wife bought him four years ago at the Bay. They were meant to keep his feet comfortable during long hours on the job. He got back on the bus and finished the last two hours of his shift in his stocking feet.

 

"I couldn't imagine him walking a mile without shoes," the driver said. "I couldn't imagine how cold he was."

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/bus-driver-walks-the-charity-walk-170464686.html

 

Makes me feel like doing something nice for someone today

 

Cheers

I think the first kind act was to actually realize the lack of shoes on 'just' some person on the streets. By this, the guy is already a step ahead and the later shoe deal then proves it.

 

Nice story, Matthew. :hi:

Yes, lovely inspiring story. These type of heroes need celebrating too.

I think the first kind act was to actually realize the lack of shoes on 'just' some person on the streets. By this, the guy is already a step ahead and the later shoe deal then proves it.

 

Nice story, Matthew. :hi:

 

Very true....I am the type of person that never notices stuff like that. If someone was shoeless I would probably walk right past them and never notice. I tend to walk really fast around the city when I go to work and not pay attention to other people though.

 

I do make friends with the homeless and have sat and talked with a number of them in the past. I have lived in the cities in the past and found it is best to concider the homeless your neighbours and watch out for them, as they do live in the same neighbourhood as you. In return they actually do watch out for me, my house and car when someone is up to no good.

Well that's just put any act of random kindness I've ever done to shame. Nice to know there're still decent folk around the place...

The other, not so kind, folks would just post a video on Youtube of a guy without shoes. <_<

I live in the country my random acts of kindness are limited to not running the bunny rabbits over on my way up the drive even though the little suckers eat all my peppers in the garden. All though its hilarious to watch them hop off with their ears droopy and staggering wondering what the hell the big hairless rabbit is growing.

I live in the country my random acts of kindness are limited to not running the bunny rabbits over

 

LOL

 

In New Zealand running the little bunny rabbits over are considered an act of kindness....

 

Rabbits are an introduced species to New Zealand and are a threat to the ecosystem. So killing rabbits is good for the environment. Elmer Fudd would be right at home in NZ

Sometimes acts of kindness/charity border on the involuntary! :lol:

 

When I was growing up in New York, I noticed that the Nuns they used to sit at random spots (like the bottom of the stairs at a subway) were the oldest, most helpless looking ones they could apparently find. It was physically impossible to walk past those women without giving them some money, even if you had to make a quick run to the bank to do it.

 

If not, not only did you feel absolutely terrible for even making the attempt, you could also almost feel the almighty painting a big ol' target right between your shoulder blades. (you pathetic scrooge, you!)

 

I started making payoffs when I was in elementary school!

Very nice story Mathew. This is the kind of story that should be heralded loud and long by the media instead of the drivel we are subjected to (at least in this country). Acts of kindness or generosity should be more publicized than acts of coldness or selfishness. The criminals get the attention. The do good people get ignored. That really serves to numb people and cause many to accept a more cruel and cold way of life. I have witnessed a few instances of someone doing an act of kindness or politeness and being treated as if they were weak or stupid. A man politely held the door for a couple of teen age boys at a carry out. One of them told the man he was stupid and pushed him! As I was leaving the gentleman was following me and I held the door open for him. He thanked me, we smiled. On the other hand, the other day I going into the same carry out as a young teen age boy was coming out. His arms were full of stuff so he pushed the door open with his foot and held it open with his knee. I smiled real big and thanked him loudly. He said "you are welcome sir!". So I guess all is not lost after all. These are of course minor things compared to the best and the worst that people do. My point is that if we heard more of the good and less of the bad maybe we could start moving toward a more humane civilization again. Someone does a good deed for you, praise them for it and pass it on! Make it contagious.

 

Ouch! I just fell off the stump.

 

Best regards to all,

Mel

My point is that if we heard more of the good and less of the bad maybe we could start moving toward a more humane civilization again.

Idealistic that is. Nice! :biggrin:

Good post Matthew

 

And if you or anyone else ever feels like volunteering for some more structured acts of kindness - and maybe even helping to save a life - may I recommend St John Ambulance:

 

http://www.stjohn.org.nz

 

Here in the UK it's 'Save a Life September', and I'm supposed to be spreading the word... :smile:

 

http://www.sja.org.uk

 

Not that I'm trying to recruit of course.... :biggrin:

 

Best wishes

 

Ian

My contribution is that as I fix and build computers for people, they will often hand off their old devices to me. I will then usually repair those as well and hand them off to older people and/or people on fixed incomes, who all too often have no access to computers.

 

To people surrounded by a constant cloud of computing and internet access, it frequently comes as a huge shock (well, at least to me it does) how many people out there still have no access; often forced to go to the library etc to reach the internet.

LOL

 

In New Zealand running the little bunny rabbits over are considered an act of kindness....

 

Rabbits are an introduced species to New Zealand and are a threat to the ecosystem. So killing rabbits is good for the environment. Elmer Fudd would be right at home in NZ

Hmm. I absolutely take your point about rabbits in NZ, but I still think deliberately running over animals in the road is a vile thing to do. You can't know if you've killed them outright or if you've just caught their legs or whatever. I've occasionally seen rabbits maimed in this way lying in the road ahead, and run over them myself to finish them off, which I find quite upsetting, but maybe that's just me.

 

Shoot & trap them by all means -- at least that makes sure of the objective.

My daughter would run me over if I were to hit the cotton tails. Now those nasty jack rabbits are a whole different ball game.