Faith in humanity restored

[Belvedere-II]

I am on crutches now due to a broken ankle. Most who know me know that I won't ask for help until I, well, break my ankle and can't drive, but even then I will do everything myself because I'm stubborn.

So the other day I was trying to limp my trash can to the curb and a young kid comes by on a razor/scooter, and he stopped when he saw me struggling. He asked me if I wanted him to take it to the curb, but I told him it was okay and that he didn't need to mess with my trash can. He said it was okay and that he would do it for me, and walked over to help. He must have been all of about 11 or 12.

When he started towards the curb, I took a buck out of my pocket and said, "here, let me at least give you something" and he said, "you don't have to give me any money". I told him he didn't have to help, but he did, so I could at least give him a buck. I wish I had a couple singles in my pocket, but that and a twenty was all I had. He still told me that I didn't need to give him anything, so I told him to take it anyway.

Most kids wouldn't think to stop and ask to help, and even then they wouldn't refuse money for doing so. I have no idea who the kid is, never saw him before, and wish I could tell his parent(s) what a great job they've done raising their son. I'm still kinda blown away; now I feel guilty for only giving him a buck.

 

[Someotherguy]

wow...definitely a rare kid nowadays....

 

[Bee383]

good story.i've got 12 and 14 yr old boys.i would like to think they would stop and help someone like you.still some out there being brought up the right way.

 

[tpodwdog]

you need to hire that kid...thats unheard of today....most kids are selfish bastards with thier noses buried in a cell phone. you need to find out who his parents are and give them an " atta boy "

 

[99ss]

There are still good kids out there and parents who care. Great story thank you for posting

 

[alleyoopmgv]

Thats what I call a "ray of hope"!

 

[roadrunnerman]

There may be hope for the upcoming generation if there are anymore kids like that growing up.

 

[sublimegtx]

Sounds like something my 19 yr old would do. He's beenlike that for years, he tells me "it's your fault because that's the wayyou are" He makes me proud. Not trying to pat my own back..just sayin.Isn't it great to see a kid like that!!

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Thats what I call a "ray of hope"!

Maybe that's his name,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ray!

 

[daredevil]

Hopefully you told him what a fine young man he was and that he would go far in life.

 

[Belvedere-II]

Hopefully you told him what a fine young man he was and that he would go far in life.

hehe... not in those words but I did tell him it was very cool that he stopped to ask if I needed help. I did ask his name and introduced myself to him.

- - - Updated - - -

Sounds like something my 19 yr old would do. He's beenlike that for years, he tells me "it's your fault because that's the wayyou are" He makes me proud. Not trying to pat my own back..just sayin.Isn't it great to see a kid like that!!

Hey, just because you tell a kid the right way to act doesn't mean they will listen, so you have every right to be proud - and to take well-deserved credit for doing so in a manner that he respected your words. So go ahead and pat yourself on the back...

 

[67 coronet]

thats awesome!sad that this was common place in the 60's and 70's,but getting rare enough to suprise people today.tells us something about future generations?

 

[Bruzilla]

Here's an experience I had with a helpful youth that is still bizarre to me. When I was living in Columbia, MD back in the early 1990s, I was driving my 73 Road Runner to work one winter morning and ran out of gas on I-95. I didn't have a lot of money back then, and was going to a dealership that day to buy a 1987 Dodge Charger 2.2 (I know, I know), so I had just put enough gas in the car to go to work and back home that day... or so I thought. So I'm midway between exits and the engine sputters out. It's about 30 degrees, cell phones didn't yet exist, and I'm out of gas. Worse, for those of you who've driven I-95 know, most of the whole length is bordered by fencing, in this case a 7-foot chain link fence, to keep animals and people from wondering on the highway, so I'm looking at about a five mile walk in either direction, plus the walk back, just to get to an exit. This is not good.

I hiked up the hill next to the highway and up to the border fence. There was a street nearby and some houses, but no gas stations and there was no way I was going to scale that fence. I was about to go back down and start walking when this lovely young lady just shows up out of nowhere. She came around from where the street went around some houses and just walked right over to me. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a white coat and hat. I'll never forget her as long as I live. She asked if I needed help, and I told her I had run out of gas. She asked if I had a gas can, and I told her I had an old antifreeze jug in the car if she could get me some in that. I went back down to the car, got the jug, and climbed back up while she waited. I handed the jug over the fence and gave her $10, and she said she would get me some gas. She went back around the corner and vanished.

I thought sure I had seen the last of my $10, but about 15 minutes later she came back, handed me the full jug back, and gave me my change. I told her to keep the change, but she insisted and refused to accept it, then she went back to wherever she had come from. I poured the gas in and it was enough to get me to the next exit and get some more at a gas station.

I think about that girl from time to time. I never knew where she came from, where she went, or why she just happened to be exactly the right person I needed at the right time, but she sure was just what I needed. I've never been a big believer in guardian angels, but if there ever was one, she was it.

 

[Richard Cranium]

His parents raised him right.

 

[wedgie]

I really do believe that there are more "good" people in the world than there are "pinheads", no matter what the media tells us.

 

[Moparsmitty]

There are a lot of good kids out there. It's just that they are quiet and not getting into trouble so you hardly notice that they are around. My neighbor down the street has five kids, three of them teenage boys, and if I didn't see them coming home from school I would hardly know that they are there. They work for me occasionally and they are polite, respectful and hard working. Every time I see their parents I tell them what great kids they have raised. It's good parents plus good friends and neighbors that turn out good kids.

 

[Ron 73]

I am on crutches now due to a broken ankle. Most who know me know that I won't ask for help until I, well, break my ankle and can't drive, but even then I will do everything myself because I'm stubborn.

So the other day I was trying to limp my trash can to the curb and a young kid comes by on a razor/scooter, and he stopped when he saw me struggling. He asked me if I wanted him to take it to the curb, but I told him it was okay and that he didn't need to mess with my trash can. He said it was okay and that he would do it for me, and walked over to help. He must have been all of about 11 or 12.

When he started towards the curb, I took a buck out of my pocket and said, "here, let me at least give you something" and he said, "you don't have to give me any money". I told him he didn't have to help, but he did, so I could at least give him a buck. I wish I had a couple singles in my pocket, but that and a twenty was all I had. He still told me that I didn't need to give him anything, so I told him to take it anyway.

Most kids wouldn't think to stop and ask to help, and even then they wouldn't refuse money for doing so. I have no idea who the kid is, never saw him before, and wish I could tell his parent(s) what a great job they've done raising their son. I'm still kinda blown away; now I feel guilty for only giving him a buck.

Its great to hear a story like this!