Tag Archives: helping

There Is No App for Shoveling

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snow     Lost and need to find your way?  There is an app for that.   Need to find cheap gasoline?  There is an app for that.  Want to find out what time the movie starts and buy tickets?  There is an app for that.  Want to make dinner reservations?  There is an app for that.   Want to remove 3 feet of snow from your driveway, or shovel your walk?  WHAT?  No app?  What am I going to do?  How will I survive without being able to remedy this situation immediately?  In other words, what has happened to patience and understanding when circumstance is greater than expected?  This past week brought back the reality of not everything being instantly gratified, and not any one person being more important than the other.

     Years ago I lived in a condo complex.  We had a storm that dumped quite a bit of snow in one big wallop. The wind made huge drifts against the cars in my section.  As if that wasn’t enough, the plow packed it up against vehicles building a wall of snow and ice.  Although I had a shovel, I didn’t have the physical strength at the time to dig myself out.  When the storm ended, everyone ventured out of their units to begin the cleanup.  Someone asked to borrow my shovel so that he could clear out his and his wife’s car.  After he was finished, without my asking, he cleared away the snow around mine.  In return, I cleaned the snow off about a dozen cars.  People were smiling, happy, telling jokes, and enjoying the satisfaction of helping others.

     That experience has stayed with me and I have retold the story many times.  I was so grateful for people, in a situation of inconvenience, being there to help.  This week, I saw the same story played out many times on the news.  People in several communities worked together to dig out neighbors, the elderly, schools, and numerous cars. Imagine what could be accomplished if people found a way to help each other on regular basis.

     We live in a world of instantaneous results.  We have forgotten to wait our turn, help our neighbor, and just plain talk to people.  A kind word and a helping hand can go a long way in the emotional well-being of so many.  Something as basic as the use of a shovel can create a great feeling of accomplishment.  Having to wait for the guy who has been plowing for hours, make us appreciate him even more when he arrives on our street or at our home.  In one report, a young man in New Haven, CT, who had been shoveling a good part of the day commented, “It’s all about community.”  How true.  There is no app for that.

Footnote:  I don’t own a phone with apps so I may be wrong in my listings.  I’m sure someone will let me know differently if I am.  : )   Thanks.  Angela

 

A Penny Worth of Happiness

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     This winter has been a tough one for those of us living in the Northeast.  We had large a amount of snowfall, ice, roof collapses, and many missed days of school.  What seemed like months of thawing suddenly changed with higher temperatures, and massive amounts of rain.  It all melted within days, leaving behind the problems of flooding homes and roads. It has become very tiring and depressing.  Many are ready for spring to arrive.

    One day last week, I ventured out to a local grocery store to pick up a few needed items.  I really did not want to go.  It was dark, cold, and raining, but I went anyway.  Surprisingly there were quite a few people in the store for the hour I was searching the aisles.  Maybe they needed to get out too.

   I only bought a few items, so I decided to go to the self-checkout station.  The clerk was at the end of the next row helping another customer.  The clerk asked the customer if she had a penny to which she responded no.  The clerk then started searching her change purse to see if she had a penny.  That is when I reached over and handed them one.  I told them I like to get rid of them.  Well, you would have thought I handed them over a one hundred dollar bill.  They were both so grateful.  Thanking me repeatedly for the penny.  It put a smile on everyone’s face including mine.

    I walked out thinking how the smallest things can make us happy.  That sometimes talking and helping complete strangers can change our whole mood.   A simple gesture brightened the day, and it only cost a penny.  Spring is on its way.