Some people need to be hung by the balls (rant)

[sheilalynn]

My son in law just called me a little while ago with a "this is how my day is going" rant and now it has me pissed off as well.

His grandparents live in a small town of about 1000 people. It's not uncommon to pull into the local store and see cars actually sitting there still running while the owner is inside, some people don't even lock their doors, etc...that's the kind of small town it is. His grandfather also has cancer and has maybe a couple of months left in this world.

There was a man at their church who found himself suddenly homeless. His grandparents told this guy that he was welcome to stay with them until he got back on his feet. (yes, these towns do exist). His grandparents went to bed last night, and when his grandfather got up this morning, he went to get his medications...they were gone. He looked out in his driveway, his car was gone, along with his wallet, credit cards, etc. The bed they were letting that guy use hadn't even been slept in.

That guy had some nerve if you ask me...2 old people extend themselves to a person in need and he runs off with drugs, car, money, and a few other things. At least they do know who the guy is and I'm sure they'll find him today since the car has already been spotted about 35 miles from where I am. Just burns me to think of someone doing something like that. Now on top of the cancer, they also have to call credit card companies, the bank, insurance company, doctor, pharmacy, etc and deal with all the red tape from that. Just ain't right....

[chadizzy1]

that's messed up!

[sheilalynn]

Ya think! They found out the guy does have a record, so he might just be getting a place to live for a while :wink:

[sagedil]

sheilalynn, the bad will always exist. But don't ever let that distract you from how much good is really there. It sucks, but it is life.

[Veganpunk]

That dude's a prick. I hope they do get him.

[justintempler]

I've been burnt badly before too. I still will help people out but I'm a lot more selective of who I help. There's always two sides to every story and there may have been a reason that the guy in this scenario found himself suddenly homeless in the first place.

It's a shame we can't trust people more but that's life.

[sagedil]

I have been burned, I don't care. I will treat the next person just as well as the last.

Not to get all religious or anything, but I just always remember this. What would Jesus do? Jesus got burned often, especially at the end. But that never stopped him from extending a hand to the next person. All I try and emulate him in whatever ways I can.

[mlkramer]

Karma is a wonderful thing....I used to think it was BS..but the older I get, the more I see it in action. His grandparents know this better then anyone I'm guessing as I'm sure they would have never offered in the first place otherwise.

I never could understand the actions of a person like that...but assholes will be assholes and he's prolly gone wish he didn't have one for 1-10 years where he will now have a place to stay.

[justintempler]

The problem is sometimes you are NOT helping them, you just become their enabler. There's a difference between a handout and a handup.

I see far too many people asking for handouts that are all talk about making changes but are unwilling to do anything about making that change happen. Talk is cheap.

[sagedil]

But you don't know that until you try to help.

My thing, I will do for anyone once. But you screw me, I will just withdraw myself from you, and never ever give you a chance to do it again.

[justintempler]

Don't get me wrong, I haven't stopped helping people. But if someone asks me for $100. I'll give them $10 and see what they do with it before giving them the other $90.

[sagedil]

And I will just extend trust to every single person I meet. Yes, I know some, maybe even many will break that trust. Fine, then I won't trust them a 2nd time and be done.

But I insist on living in a world where I trust first, and ask questions later.
Just the kind of world I wished I live in, so I start with me.

I can tell you hundreds of stories of being taken advantage of. But those are never the one's I remember. It is the stories of folks I truly helped, often when no one else could, who used that help right, and made better. Those are the stories I remember, those are the only stories I care about

So if I help 10 people, and 6 just scammed me, and two were lazy. But 2 really needed it, and used it to get better. What the hell do I care about the other 8??? I just am so grateful i was able to really help 2 people

That is just who I need to be right now. Helping was the only thing that made me forget my own pain these past 3 years, Helping was how I survived. I don't care about the rest, but being the guy who could help those 2 really is the only reason I am still here today.

I don't expect others to follow my example. I get why they don't!!! I am just a bit of a strange bird. But a huge part of who I am today. Really, am the same way here on Snison as I am in the world

[sgreger1]

You know as much as I bitch about everyone asking for a handout, there are so many people who genuinely need a little bit of assistance.

These old folks did the right thing, and that's what matters. They extended their helping hands out to someone who they felt was in need and they got tottally screwed. you could argue that letting vagrants sleep in your house would obviousely have this outcome, but I have lived in towns like this where the community could not even fathom someone pulling a stunt like this.


It is sad how some people in the world are, but dont let that take away from all the good people that still exist. Dont' become jaded and not want to help anyone, sometimes you do the right thing and you know what they say...

"NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED!" lol

But if you do the right thing I believe in Karma, so I hope it works out for these folks.

[sagedil]

You know it really is funny how freakin opposite I think we are in politics, and yet how close I suspect we are in how we deal with the world around us.

Let neither of us ever forget that. :wink:

[sgreger1]

HAah, indeed sage. I'll toast to that, but since I can't drink at work, i'll just pop in another thunder frosted and we'll call it a Swedish toast.