A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

A right load of bollocks...

A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Trapper John » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:00 pm

For those who think I have a black ember of a coal in my chest instead of a heart, I'd like to post this story to show there are still some things that can spark it back into life and warm it's cockles, though I've never quite understood the phrase.

In brief, a young woman had run out of juice on an American interstate in the dark of night. Fearful of setting off on foot to find a gas station but realising it was the safest option, she walked off into the darkness. She hadn't gone far before she was approached by a homeless man, who after telling him of her predicament, told her to return to her car, lock herself in and wait for his return.

Sometime later he returned with a can containing petrol which he'd bought from a gas station with the last money he had in the world. Re-fuelling her car, he sent her on her way without request or expectation of reward. In short, a selfless act of human kindness toward someone in need.

The full story and what has happened since is detailed in the link below and it is heartwarming.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ho ... d-11639039
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby McAz » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:03 pm

Cockles = ventricles.
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Trapper John » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:08 pm

McAz wrote:Cockles = ventricles.


Cheers for that, I've said it often enough but never been arsed to actually look it up and find out why. :dunno:

I wonder, do the ventricles resemble 'cockles' or is that just an archaic name for them?
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby McAz » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:14 pm

Trapper John wrote:
McAz wrote:Cockles = ventricles.


Cheers for that, I've said it often enough but never been arsed to actually look it up and find out why. :dunno:

I wonder, do the ventricles resemble 'cockles' or is that just an archaic name for them?


I think it's from derived from an alternative medical term - Latin or Greek probably. :dunno:

Commonly used when I was a kid - I thought it was something to do with Cockneys and their love of seafood. :gigglesnshit:
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Vam » Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:11 pm

I read about this just after the Go Fund Me site was set up. Just a wonderful story, TJ, and it's great to see the latest update - and the happy ending.

They both helped each other to head in the right direction again.

Merry Christmas, Johnny... :smilin:
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Alexa » Tue Dec 05, 2017 4:12 pm

A really lovely story, just goes to show that there's still some good going on in this crazy World :wubwub:
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Nucks » Tue Dec 05, 2017 6:35 pm

It’s a nice story, but we can be kind in small ways too. Letting someone with just a couple of items go in front of you in the queue if you have a full trolley, holding a door, saying thank you to a bus driver, etc.

Christmas sometimes brings out the inner kindness in us, that’s a good thing.
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Raggamuffin » Tue Dec 05, 2017 6:51 pm

Canucklehead wrote:It’s a nice story, but we can be kind in small ways too. Letting someone with just a couple of items go in front of you in the queue if you have a full trolley, holding a door, saying thank you to a bus driver, etc.

Christmas sometimes brings out the inner kindness in us, that’s a good thing.


Letting several drivers out of a side street because you know they'll be there for ages if you don't. The only problem is that you piss off the drivers behind you. :gigglesnshit:
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Nucks » Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:03 pm

Raggamuffin wrote:
Canucklehead wrote:It’s a nice story, but we can be kind in small ways too. Letting someone with just a couple of items go in front of you in the queue if you have a full trolley, holding a door, saying thank you to a bus driver, etc.

Christmas sometimes brings out the inner kindness in us, that’s a good thing.


Letting several drivers out of a side street because you know they'll be there for ages if you don't. The only problem is that you piss off the drivers behind you. :gigglesnshit:


We can’t please everyone all the time. :mrgreen:
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Lambert » Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:17 pm

I hope things turn out ok for that homeless guy.

Some time ago I watched a video of a homeless guy called Ronald Davis talking about the humiliation of begging and being called a bum. It was really powerful, and prompted a fundraiser to help him out. AFAIK he didn't get all the money and nobody knows what happened to him. Hope he's alright somewhere.

phpBB [video]
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Lady Murasaki » Wed Dec 06, 2017 11:40 am

Seems those at the bottom of the rung, social-wise, know more about kindness than anyone else.
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Trapper John » Wed Dec 06, 2017 11:46 am

Ouch! ..... I've been attacked by a nasty case of cynicism brought on by my inquisitive mind.

I thought it odd when I first read it but shrugged it off thinking there must be an explanation without even looking for one.

Does a young woman really go travelling distances on dark nights without a mobile phone? in fact is there a young woman in the world that doesn't own a mobile phone?

Would you set off on a journey on open roads with just some fumes in your tank for the journey and would you also embark on that trip without as much as a cent in your purse?

Would a young woman walking along a dark road in the middle of nowhere really stop and chat to a dirty looking hobo?

I'm sure there are some perfectly acceptable explanations as to why an obviously skint young woman luckily came across a similarly skint stranger in the middle of nowhere and struck up an instant bond which resulted in £300 grand coming in their direction. :dunno:
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Text » Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:46 pm

McAz wrote:Cockles = ventricles.


Pardon??
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby McAz » Wed Dec 06, 2017 2:56 pm

Canary wrote:
McAz wrote:Cockles = ventricles.


Pardon??


My understanding (which I've now looked up) is that the term "cockles" in this context derives from the Latin term for the heart's ventricles which is "cochleae cordis".
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Re: A Story of Real, Everyday Human Kindness

Postby Nucks » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:46 pm

Trapper John wrote:Ouch! ..... I've been attacked by a nasty case of cynicism brought on by my inquisitive mind.

I thought it odd when I first read it but shrugged it off thinking there must be an explanation without even looking for one.

Does a young woman really go travelling distances on dark nights without a mobile phone? in fact is there a young woman in the world that doesn't own a mobile phone?

Would you set off on a journey on open roads with just some fumes in your tank for the journey and would you also embark on that trip without as much as a cent in your purse?

Would a young woman walking along a dark road in the middle of nowhere really stop and chat to a dirty looking hobo?

I'm sure there are some perfectly acceptable explanations as to why an obviously skint young woman luckily came across a similarly skint stranger in the middle of nowhere and struck up an instant bond which resulted in £300 grand coming in their direction. :dunno:


My inner cynic pops up sometimes too when I read heartwarming or inspirational stories. Facebook is rife with them. If they sound a bit too saccharine, too good to be true, or end with a link to go-fund-me, I’ll probably question it. I’ve seen more than a few busted for making stuff up for sympathy/attention/compliments.
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