Author Topic: 1,000 Ways to Change the World  (Read 13042 times)

Offline opinionista

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World
« Reply #20 on: November 04, 2007, 09:23:41 am »
Here are some small acts of help I do sometimes. I'm not sure if they make a big difference but it sure puts a smile on people faces.

1. Buy a bottle of water and a sandwich (or anything to eat) to a homeless person.

2. If I notice the person before me in the supermarket line does not have enough money to pay for all the groceries, I try to cover what she/he needs to complete the payment. It is usually a dollar (euro) or less. In Puerto Rico a lot of people do that. If you need a dime, a quarter or a dollar to complete the amount due for your groceries there's usually someone behind you willing to pay it for you.

3. Pay for someone else's subway ticket or bus, if I can.

4. Look at a beggars's faces and smile when I give them money.


Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World- #11
« Reply #21 on: November 04, 2007, 11:07:34 am »
That's a damn shame then. It's a sad, sad world when folks can't smile at each other anymore.  :(

Is is.  Some men are never able to relate to a woman as a human being.  To some guys, women are either potential sex partners or they're nothing and so they don't acknowledge them - the term I see used more and more is 'being invisible'.  :(

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2. If I notice the person before me in the supermarket line does not have enough money to pay for all the groceries, I try to cover what she/he needs to complete the payment. It is usually a dollar (euro) or less. In Puerto Rico a lot of people do that. If you need a dime, a quarter or a dollar to complete the amount due for your groceries there's usually someone behind you willing to pay it for you.

Happens here in the U.S. too.  A friend of mine was at the re-sale shop (Goodwill) trying to buy a $5.99 dress.  She didn't have the 99 cents and a man behind her in line offered to pay the difference for her...which I thought was nice.  However, my friend had gone to the Goodwill straight from work, wearing a silk dress, wanting to buy a 'bag lady' dress for Halloween, the reason she was hesitating was that she only had a $5 bill...she didn't want to break the $50 bill she had in her purse for 99 cents.  :laugh:

She didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or insulted by the man's nice gesture.

Offline opinionista

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World- #11
« Reply #22 on: November 06, 2007, 12:25:06 pm »
Happens here in the U.S. too. 

It doesn't happen in Spain, which surprises me. The other day I gave an euro to an old lady so she could complete her groceries, and she was so shocked at my gesture. She thanked me over and over again.
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. -Mark Twain.

moremojo

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World- #11
« Reply #23 on: November 06, 2007, 12:59:49 pm »
That's a damn shame then. It's a sad, sad world when folks can't smile at each other anymore.  :(
We can smile all we want (we are existentially free to do so), but there could be some unfortunate misunderstandings caused by this very simple and very human gesture. And that is a damn shame!  :-\

Offline Lumière

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World
« Reply #24 on: November 06, 2007, 01:11:32 pm »
It got lively in here!  ;)  I lost count of where we were, but I'd love to compile a list of all these ideas ...


How about something simple like not littering the streets.  I've seen folks dump their empty bags of chips and candy bars on the pavement when there is a garbage can less than 6 feet away.
I once sat beside a very well dressed young man on the train who not only left his garbage on his seat when he left, but kept spitting all over the floor where he sat - in a moving train!   ???


Offline delalluvia

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World- #11
« Reply #25 on: November 06, 2007, 09:29:24 pm »
That makes me quite sad delalluvia ... :'(  It's not something I've ever really felt personally

I'm glad you haven't.  It isn't pleasant to be ignored and snubbed and treated as if your feelings don't matter.  I've been ignored and invisble - men who wouldn't give me the time of day when I was overweight, suddenly were opening doors for me and stopping by my cubical to flirt and talk when I lost it all.  Did they think I had forgotten how they treated me before?  My sister, still morbidly overweight, has had more than her share of shitty treatment.  Two events right off the top of my head - a male co-worker couldn't get a ride to the repair shop so he asked my sister and she agreed to take him.  He was profusely thankful and invited her to lunch that next Friday to thank her.

My sister didn't take lunch to work that Friday as the co-worker was taking her out to lunch.

Needless to say, that Friday another bunch of co-workers was having a going away group lunch out, and the guy thought that would be more fun to attend, so he went - conveniently 'forgetting' his invitation to my sister and neglecting to even invite her along.  My sister sat alone in her office, with no lunch.  The guy didn't even have the decency to call and apologize.  He was just going to forget she had ever done him a favor.   >:( >:( >:(

The 2nd event was a work sponsored event at a local amusement park.  My sister carpooled with some co-workers.  She lost track of these particular people in the comings and goings in the park, hanging out with some people and then others, just to find out at the end of the day, that everyone left without her, leaving her stranded at the park.   >:( >:(

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I've mostly been treated quite respectfully by the opposite sex.  Although I do have an ample cleavage and I have, on more than one occcasion, had a man talking directly at them instead of me ... like twin speakers!! 



Susie

Men!  LOL!  Well, I wish I could say the same, but I've run the gamut of treatment from invisible to irresistable and all stages in-between and all stages came with their episodes of rudeness and outright abuse.

Offline Lumière

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World
« Reply #26 on: November 14, 2007, 03:12:11 pm »

Some one gave me a neat idea once:

If you are going to have a birthday party or you are celebrating a special event, recommend that your guests bring a little donation instead of a bottle of wine or presents.  I think it is a great way to raise some money for a charity or cause you support.  :)


Dagi

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World
« Reply #27 on: November 14, 2007, 03:37:39 pm »
Another idea is to help keep this site operating by donating. :)

Offline Kelda

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World
« Reply #28 on: November 14, 2007, 07:01:23 pm »
Another idea is to help keep this site operating by donating. :)

good one dagi!!
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/

Offline Lumière

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Re: 1,000 Ways to Change the World
« Reply #29 on: November 27, 2007, 01:57:23 pm »

Pay a visit to: http://www.unicef.org.