Random Acts of Kindness

The challenge is to record random acts of kindness. At first, I thought, every random act of kindness I have done, is so small and simple, it doesn't count. But as I have read yours I see that a random act of kindess is very often just that, a small and simple act of kindness. It doesn't have to be something big and fantastic. More like something no one sees, but those who are affected.

We were in WalMart. We had picked up enough stuff to bring our bill up to the usual $100. Along the way, I had picked up a pack of Spiderman bandaids in case my grandsons came by to visit. While we were standing in line, a young boy, his brother and father, got in line behind us. The father had a big birthday cake. I turned to them and asked, "Whose birthday is it?" The young boy said it was his and he would be turning six. I asked what kind of cake they bought and he proudly announced it was a Spiderman cake. The cashier had just rung up my Spiderman band aids. I picked them up and handed them to the young boy and said "Happy Birthday." I made sure the cashier saw so she would not charge him.

Grin does not describe the look on his face. It was an awesome feeling, my husband and I both felt quiet joy for this silly little thing we did.

Now, even better than that. Let me tell you what kindness was done to me, rather than by me. I was very sick and the Bishop's wife, came to visit me. While we visited, someone else stopped by (an unusual event to have 2 people just drop by). The Bishop's wife got up and left the room, the next thing I knew she was vacuuming my floors while I visited with the other ladies. She had asked my 3 year old where the vacuum was, and he, knowing everything, showed her. What a lovely thing to do.

Expounding on my Geeky side

This is Zeke. He just put Direct TV in my house. He included a fancy shmancy box that works like a Tevo. He doesn't have a computer. He was surprised to see three computers, two scanners, a digital camera, an iPod, a DVD player, a manual typwriter, a sewing machine, a laminator, a cell phone, a hot glue gun, a speed bag, and a label maker in my office. Now, I have to learn how to use all the fancy features on this fancy shmancy box he left.

Yes, that is sweat, it was 114 degrees in here today. He took out all the old satellite stuff from Dish TV (boo) and installed all new cable etc. for the Direct TV stuff (yea). He had to do it all on the roof, outside. I gave him several glasses of ice water.

Zeke arrived with a drill and drill bit big enought to drill a hole through Texas, which is a good thing because our walls are solid cement (thus no pictures on the wall :-)).

Zeke wants to start his own business. He said he doesn't want to work for someone else all his life. His ambition is to start a portable car wash business where he will come to your home or business and wash your car. He is only charging $75 for a detail. I told him to come back to my house tomorrow and we would pay him $100 to do his first mobile detail job. We are paying him a little more because he has to buy chemicals to do his very first job on our car.

Zeke is a nice young man with a girlfriend and 2 children. I hope he is successful.

I am a Geek not a Nerd (spt)

Expanding on Lelly's definition--

Geek: Someone who knows a lot about computers, but also has other interests about which she can converse, such as sky diving, grandchildren, crochet, cooking...

Nerd: Someone who can only talk about computers.

Am I a Geek? Yes, and proud of it (definitely not a nerd).

I asked my friend SteveE what makes me a Geek and he said, "He couldn't use that phrase because it has a negative connotation." He said, he thinks I am more of a "guru." I love computers. I love all parts of them except that I think printers are the devil. I teach computer classes "fabulously." (I am stealing that word from Amberly.)

Some times I wonder how we got along without computers, but then I wonder how we got along without microwaves, pens, cars, cell phones and Jolly Ranchers. Somethings are just meant to be. Computers are among the necessities of life.

On our trip to Germany, Lee and I both commented that we felt disconnected because we did not have access to a computer without going to the library.


Notice the Geeky stuff around me. There is a thumb drive in the laptop, and a pink document holder. What you can't see is the second computer on my desk, the headset for my phone, the headset for my computer, the wireless mouse and keyboard, the stack of CDs on my desk and the case I carry around with 3 more thumbdrives. Oh, yes, and I just went to Google Reader and subscribed to updates of all my favorite blogs.

Yup, I'm a Geek.

On Being Driven

Sometimes I would like to be a person who just sits with no ambition. However, I seem to have been born with a personality to be driven to try something new.

In about 1986, I was on an airplane and saw a man reading the New York Times. He had done it so many times on an airplane, he had figured out how to fold the paper so he only had an 8 x 10 fold open at one time. He would then do an oragmi type fold and another section was ready to read. I drew a sketch of a pda in the magazine I was reading with the small screen, keyboard, etc. and the idea that you could read the news electronically and fit it in you pocket. I told a few people and they laughed at me so I didn't do anything about it. That will never happen to me again.

Have you looked at my other blog? I am a computer geek among other things. If you can use tipe on how to learn to like your computer, this is the place for you. http://www.fortheloveofsoftware.blogspot.com/ I can't help it. I just have to have something else going on.

Have you looked at the small business my husband and I have started? You know how you mark the wall to see how tall your children have grown and then you move or paint over the marks and they are lost for ever? We have come up with a permanent, decorative, heirloom solution. http://www.growsticks.com/ I can't help myself. I am always coming up with a new idea and trying to create it.

Do you have any good ideas, you need to act on?