Been There, Done That
Posted: Jul 5th, '17, 02:37
I was watching What Would You Do with my sister.
I don't know if the show and their social experiments are true, but I love watching the show.
I believe people that care about strangers, do exist.
I've seen it happen and had it happen to me.
So it made me wonder about something:
Are you more likely to help someone, if you've been in their shoes?
And can someone who's never been in that situation, feel the same empathy?
My family's always been on the poor side, so I know what it's like to want and need things that you can't afford.
When I was a kid, my mom would take me to the grocery store and I'd usually find things I wanted too. Usually coloring books.
Well, a few times, my mom would say "No, we can't afford it!" and the cashier would literally buy the book for me.
They didn't have to, but they wanted to. They wanted me to be happy. Someone they don't know.
Last year, I had issues paying for some snacks I grabbed for my sister and I.
Well, this random man bought the snacks for us.
I was so startled and thankful and embarrassed.
It was so awesome for him to do that.
I also recall my grandpa helping this man out.
The man had a little food for himself and for his dog.
He couldn't pay for both, so he started to take the dog food back, but my grandpa payed for it, so the man could get both.
My dad also had an interesting story.
He was co-owner of a deli, and this homeless man came up with his dog.
He asked if my dad and his girlfriend had any scraps they could give him and his dog.
Well, they made the man and sandwich and gave some scraps for his dog.
They got busy and stopped paying attention to the man and eventually saw that he had left.
They ended up finding a little paper angel with the girlfriend's birthstone attached to it.
My dad said they never saw the man again.
There was also a story of this couple who helped a stranger, and started getting checks after the man had left.
And the checks continued to come to them.
I know some users here don't believe in God or Jesus or angels, but I was always told to treat others nicely.
Not only is it the right thing to do, but they may be Jesus or an angel in disguise.
I love to help people because I like being helped.
And I like being happy and love to make others happy.
I'm also not from a rich family.
We're not dirt poor, but we've never had a lot of money.
A lot of my family are some of the hardest working and most caring people you'll ever meet.
We know what it's like to struggle and that we're not better than others.
My parents, alone, would give you the shirts off their backs if you needed it.
My parents will start a conversation with anyone and everyone and care about you and help you out if you need it.
They're a big reason why I love helping people and why I want to donate as much as I can to help people.
So that's why I'm wondering if people are more willing to help others if they've been in their shoes, or if everyone is capable of feeling the exact same.