For those of you looking for a heartwarming change of pace, consider Redditor 13onghit's decision to ask the online commmunity: "What's the nicest thing you've done for someone?"
There... don't you feel better already?
"Former Boy Scout here."
Former Boy Scout here.
I worked a summer camp in Missouri one summer. One week we had a troop of mentally disabled guys stay at the camp. They were all older than standard Boy Scouts.
One I took a liking to. Big dude who you would be frightened to death to cross on a dark street. But he was mentally a 5-year old. He had zero confidence.
I wanted to work on that.
So I guide him all week but make sure he does as much on his own as humanly possible.
We get to woodworking day and I help him construct as much as he feels he can. He just doesn't want to use the hammer to sink the nails. I do a few but notice every single thing he does, he does better than he feels and I decide I'm going to have him do it, whatever the cost.
I give him the hammer. He declines. I tell him I believe in him. He declines. I say, "Tell you what... I'll hold the nail for you, I trust you that much. I know you won't hurt me."
He took the hammer. I hold the nail. I bit down hard expecting a broken finger.
WHACK
That nail went down like it was made of butter. He didn't even pinch my finger as the head of the nail went down. He hit it PERFECTLY.
He saw it and dropped the hammer and started wringing his hands and tried to be excited without "making a scene".
My heart was so full for him. I felt amazing for taking that risk. That was over 20 years ago, and I've never forgotten it.
I now have two young daughters who I put my physical self on the line for regularly. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes I gain new scars. But I know being the someone who trusts you no matter what makes any physical pain not even a consideration.
"A friend I went to high school with..."
A friend I went to high school with is an elementary school teacher at a school without a lot of money. She did one of those "GoFundMe but for teachers" things, I can't remember the site exactly or what the project was - something tech-related. She posted it on Facebook and there was a decent amount of sharing and stuff, but outside of a few $25-50 donations there wasn't a lot of actual activity.
A month or two goes by and I check up on it again, it's only like halfway to the goal with a few weeks to spare. I finished it out and paid for the rest of it, I wanna say it was $300 or something like that. Never told anyone I know about it, left it anonymous on the donation too. This is actually the first time I've mentioned it to anyone at all. Just felt good.
I (riding on my bike) saw a man lying on his back in the middle of an adjacent sidewalk. While it's fairly common around here to find homeless people passed out in doorways and whatnot, and therefore relatively easy to ignore, this guy was different. Nicely dressed, clean, not obviously homeless, and really, really still. Nobody was stopping. It was in broad daylight.
I got off my bike and checked on him - his eyes were rolled back in his head, then would randomly roll around, his pulse was weak and slow, he was breathing, but very slowly and shallowly. Once I stopped people started getting interested, but when I asked someone to call 911, everyone took off. I called them myself, and they wanted me to do CPR. I only had one functioning arm, so I again asked for help. All the rubberneckers again disappeared.
Fortunately an ambulance arrived quickly. I still don't know what happened to him, but I hope he was okay.
I also called 911 for a guy that was obviously homeless, and drunk, at night in a mostly deserted area, because he was passed out face down on a sidewalk with a nearly empty bottle of bourbon in his hand, and a growing puddle of blood stemming from where he slammed his head when he fell down. I would rather risk some personal safety than wonder if another human bled out because I didn't want to be bothered.
Yes, I understand not stopping to help a guy in a van on the side of a deserted road in the middle of the night, or another dozen other scenarios. Get somewhere safe and call the police! But I'm baffled as to how people can just flow around a person in need in broad daylight in a well-populated area.
"Knew someone at school..."
Knew someone at school who was raised by a single parent, said parent develops cancer and my friend, who had been obviously depending on her, became utterly depressed. Couldn't cook meals, finish schoolwork, do sport, most of his time was dedicated to his parent.
I cooked/bought meals for him, helped him catch up all his missed classes, organised stuff to get him outside, etc. he's doing better now, so is his mum, although we don't talk anymore. Still, felt worthwhile.
"Someone dropped..."
Giphy
Someone dropped their lotto ticket and I returned it to them. They won 400$ and gave me half.
"I switched..."
I switched from one type of insulin to another. After switching, I had about 30 vials of Novolog left over that I didn't need.
We had a guy come out and do electrical work on our house and saw that he wore an insulin pump. I asked him what kind of insulin he used. He said Novolog. I asked him if he wanted my leftover, non-expired, still sealed vials. He said sure. I imagine he was thinking that it was going to be only a few.
I loaded them all up into a Walmart bag and gave them to him. I don't know if he had to pay out of pocket or anything for his, but even if he did, the total cost to him for it could have well exceeded $1,500 in just co-pays alone.
He was nearly in tears when I told him to keep it all.
"I helped a waitress..."
I helped a waitress at a restaurant I frequent. After a few months of patronage I knew most of the staff and was on a first name basis with them. I learned that she was working 6 days per week, 8 to 10 hours per day, and going to school full time (5 days per week, 6 hours per day), plus she traveled by bus between 2 and 3 hours per day. A quick bit of mental math... on a bad day she could spend 19 hours with her obligations, not counting bathing, eating, or homework! And after she paid for her tuition, she only had 10% of her paycheck left over.
As i have no family nor children of my own, I decided to pay for her university. She has since quit her job and is focusing on her studies. She regularly sends me updates about her classes and I'm happy to report she's getting straight 'A's as a psychology major.
"I came home late..."
Giphy
I came home late on a delayed flight and there was an old woman sobbing at the bus depot because no one was there to take her home. This was in the middle of a bad snowstorm at 1 am so no one wanted to drive. I picked her up and drove out of my way to drop her off. Had to drive an extra half hour in the worst conditions ever but it all worked out.
"An acquaintance..."
An acquaintance talked about suicidal thoughts over several weeks online. One day he said "goodbye forever" and left all groups. I found his address and sent an ambulance there.
He's feeling better now, and thanked me a few days afterwards.
"I had an early childhood education class..."
This happened about 10 years ago.
I had an early childhood education class in college that involved observing/interacting with preschoolers. The college has a daycare for locals and teachers.
One day we all decided to take the kids to a nearby park. This park was pretty secure but there was a very busy road right next to it, and there were gaps in the fences.
One of the kids mom's decided to come early to pick up her son. She parked on the other side of the street and was waiting to cross.
The kid saw her and basically immediately started running and climbed through the fence and was going into the street.
I noticed and ran as fast as I have ever in my life, leapt over the fence (it was only about 3 feet) and grabbed the boy literally a split second before a huge flatbed truck zoomed passed going at least 65+ mph.
I looked up and saw the mom and tears were pouring from her eyes and she was screaming, because from her perspective all she could see would definitely give the impression her son was hit.
So she runs over and I just hand her the boy and she's in total panic and terror. The instructor gets over and tells me thank you and says "we are never coming to this park ever again." and she holds the mom as she's crying.
I just stand there in shock. She took the kid home. We all walked the kids back to class.
"Me and my roommates..."
Me and my roommates once took in a girl that at 18 had been kicked out of her house and subsequently got stuck in a bad living situation. She had no job and no car and was nowhere near work.
We lived near the center of town, so we gave her a place to stay, helped her get around to look for jobs, and gave her some bus money. Within 6 months she had a job, a car, and was getting a promotion. By 1 year she had turned her life around and joined the army.
She is happily married now with 3 kids and a good job.
"I gave away..."
I gave away a wheelchair I was selling to a lady who really needed it. I let another person have my appointment at the veterinarian because they thought theirs was at my time and would have missed it because they had to pick their kids up from school. Whenever I play arcade games at the beach or whatever, I'll hunt for a parent and give them my tickets for their kids. It's little things that make me happy knowing that I have made someone else briefly happy.
"I met a kid..."
I met a kid at my old job and he was stuck in the wrong state due to missing his greyhound so I paid for his hotel room for a night and gave him money for a bus ticket the next morning, as well as my number in case he needed a ride to the bus station. I don't know where he is at or what he is doing but i'll never forget him. He was crying and worried to death he will never make it home and we were both 18/19 at the time and I just know how I would feel if it had been me.
"Some days I'm equally as broke as he is..."
Pay 70% of our household bills. My boyfriend was in a rough spot financially and I just told him to contribute what he can while I shouldered the majority of the bills. Some days I'm equally as broke as he is but I never complain because I know if I was in the same situation he would do the exact same thing for me.
"I took care of my mother..."
I took care of my mother for years after her car accident, which triggered her Fibromyalgia, without pay or anything. Now I am her PCA (Personal Care Assistant) and get paid for it.
DQ: What's the nicest thing you've ever done for someone?
- People Reveal The One Stranger They'll Always Remember ... ›
- People Share The Most Disrespectful Thing A Guest Has Done In ... ›
- Students Share The Nicest Thing A Teacher Has Ever Done For Them ›
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
Money Burn GIF by nog
Giphy
Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
south park wedding GIF
Giphy
See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
homer simpson episode 23 GIF
Giphy
Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso
Giphy
Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
Disney World GIF
Giphy
The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.