There are still some good people in the world.
By patgalca
@patgalca (18355)
Orangeville, Ontario
July 4, 2007 4:37pm CST
Today I had to go to the lab for blood work. There were a ton of people in the waiting room and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it out of there in time to take my daughter to the dentist at 11:30. It was about 11:10 when I decided to run upstairs (there was only one other person ahead of me so I was going to be called soon) to use the pay phone. The first quarter I used fell down inside the case of the phone. I pulled out another quarter and dialled my home number. I wanted my daughter to call the dentist and tell them we would be late. I got a quick busy signal. I tried 3 more times but it was a quick busy signal. That usually means something is wrong. I tried my husband at work - again, a quick busy signal.
I was alone in the lobby of this small medical building. A man came around the corner from where the stairwell was and said, "You look like you need to make a phone call in a hurry." and he handed me his cell phone. I was dumbfounded and relieved. I had asked in the waiting room about the payphone in the lobby and thought if anyone had a cell they would offer it to me but no one did. I made my call and my daughter told me the dentist called to say they were behind schedule. Phew! I thanked the man profusely and went back to the lab waiting room. I told everyone what happened, that an angel came to my rescue.
I also added that I hoped someone does something nice like that for him one day. Someone said, "I'm sure they will."
You've heard about paying it forward, and karma, and what goes around comes around, well finally I got to see someone do something nice to me (after always being nice to others - a couple of weeks ago I let a women go ahead of me in line at the grocery store because she had fewer items than me).
It pays to be nice to people because you never know when you will need someone to be nice to you because, yes, there are still some good people in the world.
7 people like this
15 responses
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
5 Jul 07
I totally agree Pat and that man must of made your day :) that was nice of him to do that!!
I totally agree with paying it forward as I felt I did a good deed today too. One of the shops at the mall was having a huge sale and i happen to have what they called metro tickets of $10 each. I had 3 in total. Unfortunately you can't use them all together and can only use one at a time. Before you get the $10 discount you have to have bought $30 worth of goods. There was no way I was going to use all three so I gave the other two away to two ladies in the queue. They were so thankful because it was clear they were buying up the shop (more than $30 worth) and being able to save $10 was a huge bonus. I felt good and I'm sure they did too!
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
4 Jul 07
Lovely story and thank you for sharing it with us. Sometimes people can take you by surprise and out of the blue offer to help when you feel so lost. What a wonderful feeling. There are caring people in this world. We need to see it happen more often. By acting in this manner ourselves we can cause a dominoe effect and perhaps see more random acts of kindness happen around us. Huggers to you.
3 people like this
@coolcatzz (1587)
• Canada
4 Jul 07
Pat just so you know pay phones have gone upto
.50 cents so that is why it wouldn't work.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
4 Jul 07
You know, I wondered that the last time I used a payphone, one of the newer ones with the digital display telling me how much money to put in. I had to pay .50c. What I don't understand is why it wasn't publicized ANYWHERE. I never heard it and I watch CTV National and local news every night. They make no mistake in letting us know when the cost of postage stamps goes up a penny every year, but the cost of a pay phone call jumping from .25c to .50c should have been widely publicized so that they could receive some backlash. LOL! I'm guessing they are having to compete too much with people with cell phones. This incident sure had me thinking of getting one.
2 people like this
@zipman191 (381)
• Israel
4 Jul 07
i just want to say "there are still some good people in the world"
and most of them are here :D
(in mylot)
2 people like this
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
4 Jul 07
That is a nice story and it goes to show that there are still many nice people in the world. I don't think people are bad in general. I think that people are just too busy and wrapped up in their own lives to help others most of the time.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
4 Jul 07
I have to agree with you there. In fact, I think this guy was waiting for his wife who was elsewhere in the building, somewhere he didn't want to be. LOL! He went over to the sitting area and sat down while I made my call. When I got home the name on the call display on my phone was a woman's. He had all the time in the world to help out a panicky little nit like me. ROFL!
2 people like this
@BeachLover (520)
• India
4 Jul 07
Thanks for sharing a this nice stories. Good job.
I think the world is still beautiful, only because good people in our world. They are the most powerful people in this world. Because even if their numbers are less they are more powerful than thousands of bad people around us.
It is very hard to good. One must be ready to face down time and criticism, even from their loved one. Even god also, examine these people and give them very hard real life test. They live with principle and die with principle but they live their life at the fullest. Which we all can't do. They die with satisfaction.
I pray god that he gives all of us that strength to handle life's challenges with right attitude and principles.
2 people like this
@pinklilly (3443)
• Australia
5 Jul 07
I am always offering asistance and helping others it makes me feel good to see somebody eles benefit from my actions.... You must have been relived...
Once a lady in the supermarket needed help in reaching the milk and she asked a man before me and she said he was rather rude and walked off on her. Then I came along and helped with No heed what so ever... She said to me after Thanking me I hope you receive a pleasant surprise.... I don't expect anything from helping others but it was really Nice to receive a comment like that other than the ordinary Thank you which is always more than enough too.....
1 person likes this
@pinklilly (3443)
• Australia
6 Aug 07
Thanks for the BR..... I do think it makes people's day brighter when either offering assistance or receiving. It can make the world of diffenece to those involved :)
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
5 Jul 07
I had an elderly lady ask me to read a greeting card for her as she left her glasses at home. I didn't have my reading glasses on and told her so, but I was able to read it for her. I wouldn't have hesitated to pull my glasses out if I couldn't read it though.
1 person likes this
@Eskimo (2315)
•
5 Jul 07
For every bad person, there are 10 nice people. It could be that a lot of people would like to be more helpful, but are too shy of strangers to offer, also in the past I have seen some help going wrong. I was on a bus once, and someone got up to give there seat to a lady that was standing then the conductor came and said that there were too many people standing and the person who gave his seat up had to get off (even though he had paid his fare), the lady (??) sitting just sat there and ignored his plight.
I have let people go in front of me in supermarket queues if they have only a few items, but most of these stores have fast checkouts as well.
1 person likes this
@realplayer54 (51)
• United States
5 Jul 07
To say that there's still some left is kind of an exaggeration. There are plenty of people, for instance, who respond to certain questions that I thought only I could answer that way. There are plenty of people like that, you just probably haven't been many places. In fact, I'm sure someone posted something similar to this already.
1 person likes this
@healwell (1268)
• Ahmedabad, India
5 Jul 07
This is an example of goodwill and creating good karma by doing small things!
We never know which thing will work which way! We can guess and grasp! And to develop the right kind of GUESS AND GRASP, one has to share goodwill and good deeds, just simple but whole heartedly!
@diannebcrs (1549)
• Philippines
5 Jul 07
wow it's so inspiring to read stories like these. that's why i like the movie Pay it Forward coz it talks about the kids ideals which we should realize because if i also experienced someone being kind to me i'd feel somewhat obliged or inspired to also be kind to someone else and let the rules of karma just play out. my boss has always been so considerate to us so in return we feel happy to just give our best when we go to work.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47084)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
5 Jul 07
Yes, there are, and you are one of them.
1 person likes this
@sheenshaukat (2617)
• Pakistan
5 Jul 07
Human being is a social animal. He or she could not live without helping each other. This is natural. When ever you see some one in trouble you will automatecally rush to help. same attitude was performed by the people there and you concluded that there were still some good people in the world. I belive that there are not some good people, there are many good people in this world and they come in vision at the moment when we need help.
1 person likes this
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
7 Aug 07
Hi patgalca! That is a beautiful testimony or story. Experiencing something good that was done to you makes one feel good about humanity and making you have more faith on people. I heard about the paying forward and karma, and I believe that with all my heart...and it's a nice feeling to learn and know that there are still a lot of people who do good things for each other and even for strangers. Have a nice day and God bless!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
7 Aug 07
That man was sure nice because unless he is on a plan and allowed so many minutes a month, he will get charged for the phone call you make and what you receive. As for the payphone giving a quick busy signal when you tried to call your husband and daughter, it probably meant that there was something wrong at the lab. The reason no one offered you a cell is because of the reason stated in the first sentence. That man must be a nice man. I do not know about karma and paying it forward (I saw the movie, the boy was murdered --and he was an only child and did not like that at all, especially when they sang at the end as though they were glad) I do not expect anything nice to happen when I do something nice for someone and I am sure that man who lent you his cellphone did not think so either.
