What small act of kindness were you once shown that you will never forget?

When I was about fifteen my family was into showing dogs. I was often told (by my parents) to take the dogs of their friends into the ring to pad the entries. One time, when the dog I was handling won his class and ruined the chances of the target dog, the owner was really mean to me. A woman who I had never met, but who was the Really Big Name in our breed, saw this and took apart the mean lady, then complimented me on my skills in the ring and asked me to handle a couple of her dogs that day.

20 years later I met her son who was (at that time) a famous Science Fiction author at a convention and told him how much I had appreciated that. He was delighted.

It is now 50 years after the fact and I still recount that kindness-of-strangers tale to people.

@canidmajor- That is awesome! I love people like that :)
What breed of dog were you showing?

While getting the submarine ready for an extended underway (that I was not going on), I was working 80+ hour weeks at least. The day before the underway, the Engineer (3rd in command) passed me in the Engineroom. We said hi to each other. Right after we passed, he stopped and called me back. He told me that he knew they (officers) didn’t always act like they cared, but he wanted to tell me that he had noticed how hard I was working and that he really appreciated the effort. That impressed me enough that I still remember it when it happened around 1985.

@seawulf575 – That would be memorable for sure. :)

In college, I was pretty naive about general safety. Was sitting under a freeway underpass waiting for a greyhound bus at 3am when this super sketch van pulled up and offered me a ride. I declined but he wouldn’t leave.

This homeless woman came up to the van and started shouting at him to leave me alone. When he still wouldn’t leave, she went to her shopping cart and started chucking books at his head.

That lady was amazing. She was old and feisty. And probably saved my life. Didn’t even think twice about using all of her worldly possessions to protect my dumb ass.

I would drive back to that spot several times with food and books, but never saw her again. I think of her often though.

@lucillelucillelucille we were showing Keeshonden (tumbleweeds!), But all our cousins and friends had different breeds so I got experience with Boxers and Norfolks and Samoyeds and Danes and Pekes. I loved all the dogs, I hated all the politics.

When I was about seven, I was living on the streets for a few weeks with my mom and siblings.

This kind old lady took us in. I remember she gave us these funny comic books where the bears were talking about God.

And she patched up a hole in my brother’s blanket. We kept that blanket for years. And I would always think of her when I felt those little hand sewn stitches in the dark.

@canidmajor -They are beautiful dogs!Are they the ones with“spectacles”?

@raum – She knew :)

I’m probably not answering the question correctly. These weren’t just small acts of kindness.

@raum -I like your answers!

@lucillelucillelucille Here ya go. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeshond#/media/File%3AKeeshond_Majic_standing_cropped.jpg

Fuzzy

@canidmajor -Yep! Beauties!

@lucillelucillelucille they are smart and funny and sweet, too. But dealing with coat…yikes!

@canidmajor -The last four dogs I’ve owned have been German Shepherd Dogs. Shedding 365 days a year. I got a vacuum attachment that almost works.
I imagine Keeshonds would be up there as well. lol

When I was very young, probably 17 or 18, I was driving on the expressway and had a flat tire. I pulled over and was thinking about what to do. A man pulled off of the highway and walked to my window. I was scared to death. He could tell. He made the “roll you window down” motion and I opened my window about a half inch. He put his mouth close to the window and asked if he could change my tire for me. I nodded and pulled the lever to open the trunk. He got the tire and jack out and changed the tire. He came back to my window and, again, through a crack said I was ready to roll. I said thank you and drove off. I’m crying right this minute laughing just remembering the experience. During this time women stranded on the highway were often target of crime but that nice man didn’t try to make me feel foolish. I can now see the blessing it was.

@Sagacious -You were smart to be careful. He was smart to understand :)