I have just read Dotti's blog....one born every minute.
All about doing daft things...or things that could have had worrying consequences.
I think that doing things that are a bit risky is part of the maturing process...and I think we have all been in that neck of the woods.
If you are of a giving nature, if you are prone to helping those who have found themselves in difficult situations...then that is who you are.
You can get burned and you will still want to be the one who holds out a helping hand.
When I was a first year student nurse, there was a young man admitted to the ward after a motorbike accident.
This young man was from South Africa...he had with him only a small rucksack and not a lot of money.
He was seeking out family who lived in the area, but had only a vague idea of where these family members lived and what they were called.
He ended up being in hospital a long time(complications set in).
He ran out of soap, toothpaste, shaving stuff etc.
I was not on a great salary, but I took the stuff in that he needed.
When I was on night duty I would call at the chippy and take him a fish supper in.
He was always hungry.
I did not do this for any other reason than he was some mothers son...and if I had had a son, I would hope that someone would extend similar kindness.
I did not do these things out of any desire to profit for myself.
Anyway, my allocation to that hospital came to an end....and I did not see that young man again.
He got well, his parents came over and took him back to South Africa....and I forgot all about it
Three years later, I was qualified, working on a ward and a handsome ginger haired young man approached me.
I really thought he was going to ask me where his wife/girlfriend/mother/Granny/auntie was.
Not a bit of it.
It was the young man I had looked after.
The flowers were for me....he had tracked me down to say thank you for the kindness I had showed him...he said he never forgot it and he said that if I had not been married he would have set his cap at me.
I told him that I was flattered, but that I was too old for him.
I know there was no risk to me in what I did, but all I am saying is that kindness is never a mistake or a weakness.
Growing up, we were told by our parents that we could be anything we wanted as long as we were kind.
All about doing daft things...or things that could have had worrying consequences.
I think that doing things that are a bit risky is part of the maturing process...and I think we have all been in that neck of the woods.
If you are of a giving nature, if you are prone to helping those who have found themselves in difficult situations...then that is who you are.
You can get burned and you will still want to be the one who holds out a helping hand.
When I was a first year student nurse, there was a young man admitted to the ward after a motorbike accident.
This young man was from South Africa...he had with him only a small rucksack and not a lot of money.
He was seeking out family who lived in the area, but had only a vague idea of where these family members lived and what they were called.
He ended up being in hospital a long time(complications set in).
He ran out of soap, toothpaste, shaving stuff etc.
I was not on a great salary, but I took the stuff in that he needed.
When I was on night duty I would call at the chippy and take him a fish supper in.
He was always hungry.
I did not do this for any other reason than he was some mothers son...and if I had had a son, I would hope that someone would extend similar kindness.
I did not do these things out of any desire to profit for myself.
Anyway, my allocation to that hospital came to an end....and I did not see that young man again.
He got well, his parents came over and took him back to South Africa....and I forgot all about it
Three years later, I was qualified, working on a ward and a handsome ginger haired young man approached me.
I really thought he was going to ask me where his wife/girlfriend/mother/Granny/auntie was.
Not a bit of it.
It was the young man I had looked after.
The flowers were for me....he had tracked me down to say thank you for the kindness I had showed him...he said he never forgot it and he said that if I had not been married he would have set his cap at me.
I told him that I was flattered, but that I was too old for him.
I know there was no risk to me in what I did, but all I am saying is that kindness is never a mistake or a weakness.
Growing up, we were told by our parents that we could be anything we wanted as long as we were kind.