tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post481116884752521500..comments2023-02-10T09:46:17.518-05:00Comments on Mid Life in the Fast Lane: The Power of KindnessBrian in VAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02923999291735012309noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post-14422301917844087112016-04-18T12:23:20.351-04:002016-04-18T12:23:20.351-04:00Thanks for stopping by Jim! To twist an old phrase...Thanks for stopping by Jim! To twist an old phrase, a well examined life is a life worth living!Brian in VAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923999291735012309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post-13107508867706558812016-04-16T14:53:15.829-04:002016-04-16T14:53:15.829-04:00Great story Brian. An event in a life can lead a m...Great story Brian. An event in a life can lead a man to examine himself and his place in world we travel. Not that you or I need prove ourselves and our worth to our humanity but an internal checklist is a good thing every now and then. A few events happened to me this winter that normally would just flow off me like water on the proverbial duck's back. Nothing earth shattering like a family tragedy but just enough to do a little self examination.<br />Your story re-enforces those thoughts. Thanks for sharing.<br />JimJim Bangshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11618333090634257257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post-56861421256053728672016-04-13T09:21:58.745-04:002016-04-13T09:21:58.745-04:00Ya know, I think you're right, TJ! I do get so...Ya know, I think you're right, TJ! I do get some time with the lesser haves (the poolhall seems to have a few) and I'm known to offer an assist to folks. Your story of the Winn Dixie rings true for me, too.<br /><br />I published this because I'm unaccustomed to seeing we >5%'ers not doing it; sure, we write out checks to our favorite charity and get on with life. But handing out green, to someone who desperately needs it, doesn't happen often enough in the world for us. The change is profound. Writing this caused, I know for sure, behavior changes in a number of people, including me. That is satisfying.<br /><br />Merle's passing was sad. A bunch of friends posted vids of him and I learned that he was not only a great songwriter and guitar player, he did amazing impressions of his contemporaries and everyone loved them and him! The fact that he made it exactly around the sun one more time and then checked out just seemed right, somehome. He was one of the good ones!<br /><br />Good to hear from you and thanks for topping by!Brian in VAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923999291735012309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post-52011269738644005202016-04-12T19:23:24.457-04:002016-04-12T19:23:24.457-04:00There is a line in the Kevin Spacey/Jeff Bridges m...There is a line in the Kevin Spacey/Jeff Bridges movie K-Pak when K-Pak says to the Dude's character "Mark, every creature in the universe knows right from wrong..."<br /><br />Brian, one of the reasons I'm poor is I give so much away. I'm out here on the road almost all the time now and moments like the one in your post come up quite a bit.<br /><br />A few days ago a girl broke into tears in the checkout at the Winn Dixie because she was three dollars short. Her basket had baby formula and cereal and cheap crappy frozen food and it was pretty easy for me to toss a five on the counter and say "There." I wasn't really being noble...I just wanted to get checked out my ownself so I could get my roasted chicken and deli-baked beans and potato salad and budweiser tall-boys back to the motel so I could pig out and soak my old bones in a hot tub and polish off a pint of rum.<br /><br />But I get your point. I know you for a good man. I think maybe you just don't live as close to the street as my kind. There is a powerful current of helping each other out going on here on the bottom that the $100.000 dollar a year crowd just never sees...let's face it, you guys don't need much helping each other out.<br /><br />Dang, man, it sounds like I'm criticizing you or belittling your very good post. I'm not. What I'm doing is thinking out loud and meandering my way to understanding.<br /><br />I got hung up, I guess, at the "I'm not going to start handing out $100 bills..."<br /><br />Why not? I do. not all at once, but yeah, strangers get at least a hundred dollars a month from me. Its fun. A ten dollar bill is a fortune to someone who never has money. Usually I say "here, man, have a beer on me." <br /><br />Whatever. I'm all ripped up this week over Merle dying. We all gotta go sometime, I guess.<br /><br />tjTim Joe Comstockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05351911607475089105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post-32273883809283717542016-02-12T16:23:00.165-05:002016-02-12T16:23:00.165-05:00Thanks for stopping by, Daniel. It is something we...Thanks for stopping by, Daniel. It is something we can all do!Brian in VAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923999291735012309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7020795192961608117.post-63466628988694996902016-02-12T13:27:42.951-05:002016-02-12T13:27:42.951-05:00A truly inspirational story. We all need to exami...A truly inspirational story. We all need to examine who we are and how we treat others. Too often our wants misplace others' needs. Thank you.Daniel Weisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04637437742446611544noreply@blogger.com