Helping your neighbors !

[Grumpy Old Man]

Hi all ,On Tuesday I was driving to town and noticed one of my neighbors about a mile from my house trying to rebuild the roof on his livestock shed that had been blown off during one of our recent storms ,He has helped me move my horses more than a few times for the cost of fuel and he is 77 years old ,Well ,I saw him 15 feet up on an old bent aluminum ladder trying to place new 2x8x16 foot rafters to rebuild his tin roof by himself !,I had to turn around and offer help and we spent all day Wednesday jacking up posts and pinning new 4x6x16 headers and heaving all the 2x8's up on a shed that really should have been torn down and totally rebuilt , today we will finish placing the rafters and new bracing along with the new used tin he found in craigslist ,now I'm only in my 50's and this man in his late 70's worked all day .I have to admit I was pretty sore when I got home and after a hot shower and a few visits with my old friend Jack Daniels I'm starting not to feel it anymore ! My point being is we have to remember that even though we see the old timers as being self sufficient everyone needs a helping hand once in a while and not have to pay for it ! His grandson in his 20's sat on his porch across the road watching us all day and never offered a hand !

[hawkeye08]

glad that you helped... that is what community is all about. Not some government program.

[brin]

Grumpy....You reap what you sew.....You sewed some good will there...that was a great thing you did...too bad about his grandson....I know he appreciated the help....I sure would have...good for you...Also one of my favorite old sayings is.....Character is what a man does when no one is looking.....this is a good example of that.

[CBW1999]

We try so hard to maintain our childrens awareness of things like this. So often do we see someone "walk by" another needing help.

I get kind of annoyed with the "community service" requirement before high school graduation. The current model teaches nothing to those who need the lesson. Kids log their "hours" usually in one day such as "green up" day or similar. If we could get them to spend 1 hour a week doing something, the lesson would be far more personal for each kid.

Get them into the senior centers to play cards or checkers, "adopt" a grandparent and help them shop. Now, this isn't limited to the older population by anymeans.

Grumpy Old Man- you have certainly demonstrated your "right" to name yourself such. If I saw the grandson across the road, I would have been pretty Pi**** off as well.

Brin- excellent statement my friend!

[LJH]

Stuff like that happens in our 'hood all the time. Sometimes folks ask for help, sometimes, like your neighbor, not, but it almost always ends up as a work crew at some point. It's the way communities are supposed to work and I thank God every day mine still does. Good on ya for helping the old dude; that karma will be there someday when you need it.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Stuff like that happens in our 'hood all the time. Sometimes folks ask for help, sometimes, like your neighbor, not, but it almost always ends up as a work crew at some point. It's the way communities are supposed to work and I thank God every day mine still does. Good on ya for helping the old dude; that karma will be there someday when you need it.

Hopefully that "good" karma will be around when the fel is too heavy and I'm heading down hill !

[wdchyd]

Hopefully that "good" karma will be around when the fel is too heavy and I'm heading down hill !

You ain't so grumpy after all.....

In order to have good neighbors, you have to be one yourself..

BTW Grumpy, I was traveling thru your town last week

[MossRoad]

Nice job Grumpy!


I enjoy helping our elderly neighbors and my elderly in-laws. My F.I.L. is 85 and could probably kick my butt, but he still needs help with heavy stuff, repairs, etc.... I enjoy helping old folks a lot more than working for myself. I think its more fulfilling.

[srs]

Hey Grumpy, great job and even though your were sore I know it made you feel good inside to help, plus the addition of Uncle Jack!

[jinman]

Grumpy, helping your neighbors is something that was probably taught to you as a kid. I'm afraid that in today's go-fast world, we often forget to instill that kind of character into our children by teaching and example. Heck, if you even know your neighbors today, it's rare. Perhaps our parent's generation that pulled together during the Depression is something we are losing due to a long history of economic good times. I'm not saying we should go back to soup lines and extreme unemployment, but rather that we have to look for opportunities to do just as you did and act on our instincts to help. It's so much more fun to talk about what we did than what they did. I also think it is good to for our character to help people who are not our neighbors and who will never know who has helped them. The recent storm (Sandy) in the NE is a prime example. It can make you feel really good to help those folks recover from that disaster when they will never know the name or face of their benefactor. It's what makes us who we are as people and a nation.