What Can One Person Do?
photo credit: greencandy8888
Some days I just want to give up. I want to throw in the towel with my healthy eating because it seems obsessive and I want to give up my frugal and green ways because it feels like no one else cares and it’s not going to make that big of a difference. I’m only one person; what can I do?
I think there’s enough negativity in this world right now, and if we let ourselves read too much into it, it eat away at our souls until there’s nothing left. That’s exactly what we shouldn’t let it do.
I avoid watching the news. Why? Listening to how the world is going to end in 2012, how we’re not going to have anywhere on this Earth to live in 30 years because of global warming, and hearing the ups and downs of the stock market freaks me out. I don’t need any added stress in my life. I choose to ignore the news. Sometimes I feel like an idiot when someone mentions something that is going on in the world and I have no clue about, but that’s okay. At least I am still sane. 
What can one person do?
I think that one person can make a difference. I know that I’ve been driving and someone has smiled and waved, and that makes me feel happy.
Last week I was assisting a customer who had won $2500 in a state’s lottery. You could tell by the way she was dressed that she wasn’t well off. She looked like she had been walking for quite some time and was relieved to finally be able to cash in her lottery ticket. When the other teller and I started talking to her about how lucky she was to win, and how cool it was that she was $2500 richer, her face lit up. She was so happy. When we finished with her transaction, she took two $20 bills and slid one to each of us. She told us that was so we could play too, and hopefully win.
It’s moments like that when I have more faith in the human race. It makes me feel better to be alive. There really are good people left, and all we have to do is share a little kindness.
What’s one good thing that you’ve witnessed recently that’s been a surprise?
This may sound silly, but I was in a waiting room recently while my son was at an appointment. A woman walked in with her son and I looked up from my book. I almost put my head right back into my book because I didn’t want to seem nosey.
But this woman gave me the most genuine smile I’ve seen in a while. All I could do was smile back. It gave me the same feeling of faith in the human race that you talked about in your post. Thanks!
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Balance Junkie- I love when things like that happen! Thanks so much for sharing. It’s so nice to see people smile sometimes. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
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I love it when there’s a little glimmer of humanity out there.
In Pittsburgh, people are really friendly when it comes to driving. Need to be let out of a parking lot or a side street? No prob. Merging when there’s no space to merge? It’s ok — just give a little wave.
And then you return the favor, and the city just keeps on movin.
Today I found someone’s iPhone. They left it in their shopping cart (in Pgh they call them buggies! Lolz). Anyway, her buggy was the kind that has the little kid toy car attached to it so I figured it was for sure a frazzled mama.
I didn’t know how to call anyone on there to be like, “Hi, I have this person’s phone” so I just took it to customer service. I hope she gets it back!
And I hope that she pauses to think, “whew! Someone is decent enough to do the right thing. I will do the right thing when it’s my turn.”
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Kacie- The drivers here need some tips!
It’s funny- my mom calls them buggies too. She’s in Michigan.
It’s awesome you found her phone because if someone else found it, they may not have given it back! I hope you get good karma for that.
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Like you, I don’t watch the news compulsively. I scan the PBS Newshour show headlines and when I think I need to be informed about something, I watch the show or read it in detail. If it’s just the same old same old, I don’t bother. By the way, the shock, horror news stuff doesn’t get into the Newshour. I hardly think the 2012 end of the Mayan calendar qualifies as news-it’s just the latest end of the world scare. People have felt that the world was ending for thousands of years. The world is changing–that’s what it does.
Ok, enough of my anti-news ranting
I have noticed that if I start ranting about all the problems I see in the world that people will either 1) start ranting with me 2) get the glazed look in their eyes and get all paralyzed with fear or 3) start denying that there is any problem. But if I show them the new seeds I’m growing or talk about not buying new or some other step I’m taking, they usually find it interesting–no matter what they think about climate change etc. . .I think people are generally better than we give them credit for.
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Simple in France- I hear ya. The news is awful! I take it that’s the same in France?
I used to read some doomer blogs but they started making me panic. I had to stop.
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You’re not alone – there are plenty of us out there, doing our bit as much as one person or family can. It’s not always easy, but it’s important to do what you believe in. And I think this movement is growing, slowly slowly, and hopefully one day times will change.
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Jane- I hope things will change too. We can only continue to do our best and be good people. Love spreads.
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The world is changing for sure. Each of us do what we think is right. You care about the environment and eating healthy – good for you! But please don’t think other people “don’t care” or ignorant simply because they have different values or do not see things the way you do. There are many good people out there; just like the lady who won the lottery ticket; you just need to look for them.
“When you look at the world in a narrow way, how narrow it seems! When you look at it in a mean way, how mean it is! When you look at it selfishly, how selfish it is! But when you look at it in a broad, generous, friendly spirit, what wonderful people you find in it.” ~Horace Rutledge
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Jersey Mom- I like that quote. I think it sums up things pretty nicely.
I was so pleased about the lottery situation- I wish I could have given the lady a hug.
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I helped a Kroger employee pick up some blueberries that had fallen on the floor and the look he gave me nearly made me cry. He was just so grateful that anyone stopped to help. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he was thankful, but it seems wrong that is was so unexpected.
A few weeks ago, I was visiting my grandparents who live in a nearby forest. When I was leaving, I had to stop because there was a huge pine tree that fell across the road and these three people were trying to move it out of the way. There were at least 4 or 5 cars stopped and only 3 people were helping. I got out, we finished it up, and everybody went on their way. I liked those 3 other people way more than the ones I saw talking on their cell phone and acting like it was somebody else’s problem.
So, some people seem inherently grumpy, but I love the people that make the effort to hold the doors for people with their arms full and give genuine smiles. I hope I never forget to be that kind of person because the others don’t seem nearly as happy.
Just know there are a lot of us that wish everybody would cheer up once in a while.
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Budgeting in the Fun Stuff- I am so glad you stopped to help that Kroger employee! I hope you get good karma for that! I hope that I never forget to be that kind person too. Thanks for sharing your story.
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When kids at school do well, I send home little notes on paper with
at the top. (It’s basically just a checklist of good things they might have done, and I check off the right ones — which allows monolingual me to communicate with parents who are also monolingual, but in another language.) The kids get extra credit if they get it signed and bring it back in (so I know someone saw it).
Today, I had one returned with a note on it (in Spanish): “Thank you for your patience with my daughter. I appreciate it.” Next to that, she drew a star and wrote “for you.”
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Mrs Money Reply:
April 24th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
H Lee D- That is so cute! I love that.
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It is absolutely amazing what one person can do if they simply decide to commit to doing it. I picked up a penny off the ground in late November and decided to see how much I could turn that penny into for food for food banks (in my spare time). I’m closing in on the $10,000 in donated food. The thing is that anyone could have done it — I hold no special skills or connections that meant that only I could do it. In fact, I was probably the least qualified person to try and do it. I think it is the commitment and the feeling that small things aren’t enough that stop most people, but they are so vitally important when massed together.
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Haha. My words are short this time around.
But that moment can be described in one word.
Heartwarming. <3
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