OT: Should Jonny give the Good Sumaritan Ideology the boot

[Jonny Lost]

Hey guys,


I'm really thinking about giving this "Always be a Good Sumaritan" idea a kick to the curb. Listen to this and let me know what you guys think!!

Last night, after I got off of work, I was driving home and I saw a car pulled off the side of the road. It was freezing outside and they're was a young guy and his girlfriend trying desperately to get their car re-started. I have a knack for quick solutions (at least my high school guidance counselor said I did :D) and I'm pretty handy with a car so, I decided to stop and see if I could help. I always try to stop and lend a hand if I can in these situations.

It ended up that their battery was completely dead, so I gave them a jump. It took about 25-30 minutes for me to get it started. Finally, I did and the guy was very happy. He said thanks mister and I told them to have a good night.

All fine and well, right? Not really, because in the mist of me working on this fella's car, I shut my car door and the automatic start in my car locked the doors on me. So, when I went to get back in my car to make my 45 minute drive home, I found myself completely locked out.

If that wasn't enough, the couple that I had just finished helping seconds before, saw that I was locked out. You want to no what they did to help me out?



...Wait for it!!





...NOTHING!!! They saw me, laughed, pointed and FREAKIN' DROVE AWAY!!!!!!

I ended up having to wait for almost an hour for AAA to come let me back in. I got off of work at 10 last night, and didn't get home till almost 1 am.
OUI!!!

Sorry to vent, but this has been bugging me ever since. How can people do stuff like that. Things like this have happened to me before and frankly, I'm getting a bit tired of it. Maybe I should addapt everyone else's "Screw you, you deal with it" attitude. (I won't, but it still feels good to say!)

Sorry for the rant.

Jonny

[Styxx]

Jonny, what comes around goes around. Rest assure they will get theirs someday. I know this probably doesn't make you feel any better, but they will and ten fold. ;)
Lousy stinking rotten fruitcakes!:mad:

[Joseph Burrell]

You see... This is why sometimes I wish I was a bad person. I'm a nice guy, but this kind of thing always rubs me the wrong way. I go out of my way to help people all the time and this is exactly the sort of thing that always happens to me. When I'm in need of help, there's no one around that gives a rip. But whoaho, wait until they need something... They come ask Mr. Nice Guy. Nice guys finish last. That's the truth and the whole of the truth.

I'd have ran up and kicked the guy in the nadgers. :p

[Stephanie Pray]

Hi Jonny,
I agree with Styxx on this one. They'll get theirs. Anyway, I'd still try to be the better person and help people when I could. For every one Bozo, there's 100 who truly do appreciate your help, and would help you in return if you needed them to. (I hope that I'm right anyways) :)

[Fabio]

Homo Homini lupus,

world is fullfilled of people, and statistics say you can find lamb as wolf.

My big suspect is that unfortunately the modern society create more young wolves and every day less lambs... :mad:

[Joseph Burrell]

Very true Fabio. There is a distinct impression that the way of the world is heading towards a global 'me first' attitude. Of course, the world has always had its fair share of bad seeds.

[Styxx]

In college a fellow percussionist need to borrow a Kalimba I had for his recital. I graciously loaned him the instrument not only for the performance but for all his rehearsals as well. This was one of my favorite instruments to play because of its soothing sweet sound.
To make a long story short he never gave it back to me. When I asked him what had happened to it he claimed someone stole it from his locker. That he said with a big S eating grin! I knew he was lying! I never saw it again nor him until I found out his apartment was totally ransacked and all his drum equipment was gone!
What comes around goes around....;)

[stevegoers]

I think the good egg/bad egg ratio is the same as it ever was, but since there's SO many more people in the world these days it just boosts your odds of running into the jerks.

That's a total drag, Jonny, but don't let it stop you from being the person you are.

[DPDAN]

I can certainly understand the frustration,
just continue to be the good person you are, and you will be rewarded.


dpDan

[Shazbot]

Hey guys,
...NOTHING!!! They saw me, laughed, pointed and FREAKIN' DROVE AWAY!!!!!!

Oh my, that is so incredibly cold... :mad:

But charity is worth doing for its own sake, not expecting any reward or appreciation, so you did the right thing, regardless. And now you have a really cool story to tell to illustrate that "no good deed goes unpunished", and hopefully you'll be able to laugh about it someday.

But next time, make sure you've got your keys! :p

[Markleford]

I think the good egg/bad egg ratio is the same as it ever was, [...]I gotta disagree there: society is definitely on a downhill slide.

All I ever wanted was to be left alone. I don't want their drunken public hooting, their impolite treatment of retail and restaurant service workers, their aggressive driving, their smoke at my dinner table, their loud music and racing engines in my neighborhood.

It's enough to make one want to retreat for a small island in the Pacific Northwest.

Next time I move, I'm hoping to get a bit of land buffer between me and the festering pool of humanity.

- m

[trentpmcd]

Keep being the Good Samaritan – if you ever change you’ll feel rotten about it. And it’s good to know there is at least one of you out there….

[SeanHannifin]

I gotta disagree there: society is definitely on a downhill slide.

All I ever wanted was to be left alone. I don't want their drunken public hooting, their impolite treatment of retail and restaurant service workers, their aggressive driving, their smoke at my dinner table, their loud music and racing engines in my neighborhood.

It's enough to make one want to retreat for a small island in the Pacific Northwest.

Next time I move, I'm hoping to get a bit of land buffer between me and the festering pool of humanity.

- m
In high school, my teacher read us an essay that sounded much like this, describing how society is becoming more and more disrespectful of each other, how common courtesy is being lost, and how humanity as a whole is simply declining. The punch line: it was my latin teacher, and it was an essay written some 2,000 years ago . . . :)

Anyway, Jonny, I hope you keep doing what you're doing. :) You may end up helping out one hundred fellows before you help out that guy that's secretly rich (or soon to become rich) . . . and then it will have all been worth it.

Or maybe you will not be rewarded on earth . . . :eek: :)

[Brian2112]

Jonny,



I know this is hard. But you must think of it this way:

When you look in the mirror, integrity is staring back at you. There is nothing more rewarding in life than being able to do this simple thing. To know you did the right thing, for the right reasons. Good people will occasionally be stepped on, but they cannot take away your honor (unless you let them). The minute you stop doing such things, is the minute people like this win. It is far more difficult to be a good and descent person than it is not to be. The right things to do are often the most difficult, but in the end, most rewarding.

With deepest admiration and respect,

Brian

[FredProgGH]

Karma, dude. I'm not much for mysticism in any form, really, but this one I kinda believe in. I always feel that when you give up entirely on helping people you're giving up on them ever helping you. Keep a positive attitude, you did the right thing and I think.. heck, at least... 7 out of 10 times it would have ended differently.

[Easy_Rhino]

You help people because you want to. Because you choose to live your life as an example of what humanity should be. It's painfully obvious that the couple didn't immediately grasp the extent of the gift that you gave them, but that doesn't mean that they never will. That's the nature of inspiration - it's oftentimes very subtle.

So keep doing what you're doing. and don't worry too much about the jerks along the way. As the karma people here are saying, they'll get theirs eventually if they don't wise up.

[Jerry W.]

Jonny,
I have to partially agree with the notion that society (IN GENERAL) is going downhill too. It is a rare thing to find anyone willing to lend a helping hand ANYWHERE. Used to be, people would often go out of their way to help. And you could always depend upon your own family for help. Now, you're lucky if even your family helps when needed. We have become so focussed on the SELF, that we have forgotten how to be civil and helpful to each other. (myself guilty on occasion)

Joseph Burrell and I were having this same conversation a couple of days ago. He is like you in that he is very selfless. (Our own GPO good Samaritan - finding the wayward GPOer who has fallen into dispair over software, hardware and musical problems) :)

You need to keep on doing what you do - never mind what people do in return. People like you are so rare - it would be a shame if you just stopped. Don't look at it as a "thankless job" or else you'll be missing out of the best part. - knowing you have helped when you could - even when you didn't have to. That is a great feeling. One I know would be catchy if only people could look up every once in a while past their own noses.

On the other side of the coin - I personally feel that as a recipient of help, I need to make sure I show gratitude for it. It adds to the personal satisfaction of the one doing the helping, and shows I acknowledge the kind act shown.

(getting off soapbox) :)

Jerry

[rwayland]

Hey guys,



Sorry to vent, but this has been bugging me ever since. How can people do stuff like that. Things like this have happened to me before and frankly, I'm getting a bit tired of it. Maybe I should addapt everyone else's "Screw you, you deal with it" attitude. (I won't, but it still feels good to say!)

Sorry for the rant.

Jonny

Well, I sure understand how you feel. A personal example quickly comes to mind. About 22 years ago, when I was living in San Francisco, I was on foot, caught in a torrential downpour of rain. Just a few yards from home, I spotted a child bleeding, obviously seriously injured. His arm was cut open, flesh turned back, and bone visible. He did not object to going to the police station for aid, about two blocks away. So I showed him how to hold his arm to reduce blood loss, and we went there. I took him inside, explained the situation to them, and was treated like a piece of day old ~~~~. They were ready to arrest me for his injury, but the child clearly said I did not do it. Later when I called the hospital to see how he was doing, the treatment was even worse. I could dredge up similar though less drastic events, but I won't.

Question: would I do it again? Probably, but am not absolutely sure.

Suggestion: The world has a need of people who give aid, unfortunately, the number of takers far outnumbers the givers. In spite of this outlook, I think the good samaritan approach is the best in the long run. In California, at one time there was trouble about lawsuits involving suing the motorists who stopped to render aid, and a law was passed to prevent this.

The situation is not at all new, but in recent years we have been hammered into developing a me first, grab all you can without concern of others, get yours first, and the problem is accelerating. The only way I can personally improve it is by my own actions, and so I guess that is what I will continue to do.

Richard

[FredProgGH]

Man- your hospital story reminds me of a time in Denver when I lived in a building that was a bit... low rent, shall we say... :D There was a couple across the hall from us who were always fighting and one time it spilled into the hallway and this girl was just screaming bloody murder so I went out to see what was going on. Anyway her boyfreind just pimpslaps her really hard right in front of me so I got betwen them. Now I'm really not a fighter of any kind but I'm a big guy and this dude was about 120 lbs so I just sort of shoved him back. All I wanted was them to chill out. So of course the next thing that happens is that shes screaming at ME for assaulting her boyfreind and threating to call the cops, yadda yadda... I just looked at her like, OK, you're on your own from here on out, and went back inside.

NEVER get in domestic squabbles.

[Karl Garrett]

What all you guys and gals said... This is what I love about this forum.

Bless you all and today, especially you Jonny.

The goodness of your heart and the graciousness of your spirit will reap untold rewards in times to come. It has to be that way… it just has to.

Karl

[Jonny Lost]

Hey guys,


Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your support. You are absolutley right, of course. I was just feeling unappreciated I guess.

See, I believe in the human spirit. I like to think, maybe erroneuously, that inherently, every human being on this Earth has a kind, gently and helping person inside. It is up to each individual as to how they express the nature of that inner person and how they deal with their enviornment.

Don't worry, I haven't given up on mankind yet. It is going to take someone or something alot more worse than two dumb kids to get me to call it quits. But I do have to say that sometimes, being a helping hand or trying to do the right thing sucks.

Throughout my years of helping people, I've been attacked by a pycho with a hammer (a good friend of mine, actually! :D), pushed away, spit on, cursed at, you name it. By the way, most of the above instances were do to drug and alcohol interventions. I have a bunch of friends that I grew up with who think that it's cool to constantly get ripped! Oh well.

On the other hand, I have had many good instances. I've been rewarded, thanked, hugged (by an old lady after I caught her dog!) and smiled at many, many times. The good ones, far out weigh the bad.

So, never fear, Jonny's always here to lend a helping hand!! :)

Once again, thank you all. I truely appreciate the support. If I can be of assistance to anyone, please, don't hesitate to ask!!

Sincerely,
Jonny

[Jerry W.]

Once again, thank you all. I truely appreciate the support. If I can be of assistance to anyone, please, don't hesitate to ask!!

Sincerely,
Jonny

Jonny,

I have this yard and a lot of weeds.........

Just kidding!!!

Thanks for your great attitude and spirit.

Jerry :)

[Christopher Duncan]

Jonny,

Like you, I choose to live with benevolence. Reconsider or alter my lifestyle? I evaluate it every day, just to make sure I stay on course. So who gets a vote when it comes to influencing my personal code of honor? Folks like you. Not like them.

[Tony Monaghan]

Let me get this right...

A car that starts automatically and locks its own doors? :confused:

...and doesn't let you back in again

That might induce some laughter anyway :D

[Christopher Duncan]

Let me get this right...

A car that starts automatically and locks its own doors? :confused:

...and doesn't let you back in again

That might induce some laughter anyway :D
"Good morning, Dave. Let you in? I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave." :)

[joshj]

Yeah C'mon Johnny. Just be a happy hobbit. :D

[Karl Garrett]

Yeah C'mon Johnny. Just be a happy hobbit. :D

Or be like a bunny and have a hoppy habit. :)

Karl

[stevegoers]

Or be like a bunny and have a hoppy habit. :)

Karl

Or a homebrewer!

[Karl Garrett]

Do you think if they had a homebrewer on the Simpsons that the homebrewer might brew homer?

OK I'm out of here,

Karl

[Christopher Duncan]

Oy, my head is spinning! :rolleyes: