No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

[slyc_willie]

This is an angry rant. So if you don't want to hear it, move on.

We hired a great guy about a month ago. Mike. He's from Boston by way of Florida, recently moved here with his Croatian fiance and their six-month-old son. He's my age (mid-thirties) and is as responsible a person as I can imagine. They guy was a GM for a casual dining restaurant until the place folded and he found himself looking for whatever he could.

Yesterday, in the middle of a busy shift, he gets a phone call from his mother. Mike's father, 72 years old, suffered a serious heart attack at his home in Florida. He's been unconscious ever since and he is not expected to survive the next 48 hours.

Mike, being the good son he is, wants to go be with his father when he passes, at least to introduce him to the grandson he has never seen. But with the recent move and other bills, he has only half of what he needs to afford airfare for himself, his fiance, and their baby.

I know what it's like to lose someone close. If I'd had the chance, I'd have been with my wife when she died. So I know how important it is to want to be with someone you love, to give them support, when their time has come.

One of may managers at work (he's actually a managing partner in the company) gave Mike $100 toward the cost of the plane tickets. That inspired me. It gave me an idea, a plan. I'm not a rich guy, and I just paid off my bills and have a couple of others pending. But I gave Mike $200 out of my own pocket. That leaves just $300 to cover the cost of a man wanting to go home to his father and spend those last few days with him.

I figured, if I can part with $200 . . . .

I went around the store before I left tonight. I've been there almost two and a half years now, and I've earned people's respect. They know what kind of guy I am. I suggested, hell, I practically pleaded, with them. Twenty bucks apiece, out of what they make on a Friday night. Not a one of them is going home with less than a bill, and all I ask is twenty dollars.

"Sure, Dave, no problem. I'll help him out."

I just got off the phone with him. He's earned as much as he could, and with all we've given him, he's only $120 short.

Of all the poeple who told me they would help out, only four did. That means eleven people lied to me. Eleven people betrayed me. And among those, I know (after having spoken with a friend of mine with whom I also work), at least half a dozen are going to go out and party tonight. Get drunk. Snort some coke, smoke some pot.

To those people, all I can say is:

FUCK YOU

Don't ever come to me for anything. Ever. You are no longer worthy of my attention, or respect.

May you rot in hell.

I had to get this off my chest.

 

[TE999]

Word up, Dave.

Unfortunately, sometimes the only things you can count on are your fingers.

At least four folks contributed. That's something.

 

[slyc_willie]

Word up, Dave.

Unfortunately, sometimes the only things you can count on are your fingers.

At least four folks contributed. That's something.

Well, my rant may have been premature. Apparently, my manager at work was just as pissed off about the lack of response as I was, so he went around to everyone, especially those who planned on going out tonight, and guilted them into contributing.

Mike's father is going to be able to see his grandson after all.

Rant over.

 

[The_Fool]

Well, my rant may have been premature. Apparently, my manager at work was just as pissed off about the lack of response as I was, so he went around to everyone, especially those who planned on going out tonight, and guilted them into contributing.

Mike's father is going to be able to see his grandson after all.

Rant over.

Yes and no....why did it take a guilt trip from someone else?


I don't even know the guy and I was trying to figure out how to get it on my credit card...

 

[slyc_willie]

Yes and no....why did it take a guilt trip from someone else?


I don't even know the guy and I was trying to figure out how to get it on my credit card...

Honestly, I wondered that myself. And those people will still be on my shit list.

I appreciate the gesture, Fool. But, for the moment, I'm just glad that, after all, at least one good deed wasn't punished.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Glad your man is making it home, Slyc. Nice work.

 

[slyc_willie]

Glad your man is making it home, Slyc. Nice work.

The means don't really matter, as long as the result is achieved. A man is going to see his grandson. Another man is going to be able to say good-bye to his father.

THAT is what is important.

I'm glad I was able to play a role in this. I don't want karma, or good faith. I only want to know that I helped make a dying man's wish come true.

I can sleep well tonight.

 

[S-Des]

The means don't really matter, as long as the result is achieved. A man is going to see his grandson. Another man is going to be able to say good-bye to his father.

THAT is what is important.

I'm glad I was able to play a role in this. I don't want karma, or good faith. I only want to know that I helped make a dying man's wish come true.

I can sleep well tonight.

Well said. All we have in this life is how we treat each other. It's sad that so many people can't see beyond their own selfish interests. Others stay on the sideline, waiting for some big event to happen, so they can do something "important". But sometimes, doing a small kindness (or maybe a medium one ) is enough to make the world a better place. Maybe you won't go down in history for it, but knowing you helped should be enough.

 

[neonlyte]

The means don't really matter, as long as the result is achieved. A man is going to see his grandson. Another man is going to be able to say good-bye to his father.

THAT is what is important.

I'm glad I was able to play a role in this. I don't want karma, or good faith. I only want to know that I helped make a dying man's wish come true.

I can sleep well tonight.

You done good! Sleep well.

 

[DeeZire]

I hope everyone who reads this thread calls, or visits their folks tomorrow.

I wish I would have read this thread about seven years ago.

 

[Belegon]

Slyc.

I understand your frustration. Similar to what I did or a co-worker a few years back, and it (unfortunately) had similar results in the "oh, you meant NOW?' department...

and I know you didn't start this for personal validation....

but fuck that. Thank you for caring about your co-worker. You fucking rock, dude!

back to the flirting....

 

[SlickTony]

You're a good man to have gotten that started, Slyc.

 

[English Lady]

Glad this guy and his family are going to be their for his Dad. I'm glad the money was collected and I'll pray for them at this tough time.

 

[Liar]

Well, my rant may have been premature. Apparently, my manager at work was just as pissed off about the lack of response as I was, so he went around to everyone, especially those who planned on going out tonight, and guilted them into contributing.

Mike's father is going to be able to see his grandson after all.

Rant over.

Ha. Sometimes some people needs an extra kick in the butt to get their act together.

Good rant, btw. leaving nothing to be wished for in niether intensity and tempo.

 

[rgraham666]

Well done, slyc.

 

[jomar]

What rob said.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

I'm glad I was able to play a role in this. I don't want karma, or good faith. I only want to know that I helped make a dying man's wish come true.

I can sleep well tonight.

Darlin I can honestly say that I dont see how you are going to avoid the good karma for that one. You may duck but I bet it finds you

 

[Guest]

Our deeds echo...

bla bla...

Anyway, it was a nice thing to do. I can't imagine how the others could say they would pitch in and then not to it.

Sorry to hear about your own loss.

You just saved your newfound friend the regret of a lifetime.

Maharat

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well, my rant may have been premature. Apparently, my manager at work was just as pissed off about the lack of response as I was, so he went around to everyone, especially those who planned on going out tonight, and guilted them into contributing.

Mike's father is going to be able to see his grandson after all.

Rant over.

<political>Now, does this prove, or disprove Roxy's contention that people will take up the slack without government interference? On the plus side, your group all took care of your fellow man. On the negative side, it took intervention from an authority figure to get some of your group to make it happen. </politcal>

 

[S-Des]

<political>Now, does this prove, or disprove Roxy's contention that people will take up the slack without government interference? On the plus side, your group all took care of your fellow man. On the negative side, it took intervention from an authority figure to get some of your group to make it happen. </politcal>

Yes, but the authority figure "guilted" them instead of creating a tax and forcibly taking it from them under the threat of jail (and somehow finding a way to enrich himself in the process). I'll take Dave's method.

 

[The_Fool]

<political>Now, does this prove, or disprove Roxy's contention that people will take up the slack without government interference? On the plus side, your group all took care of your fellow man. On the negative side, it took intervention from an authority figure to get some of your group to make it happen. </politcal>

No, I think at some level there is a threshold of the "all about me" syndrome. Oh, I know, call it an ego. This has nothing to do with the age we live in, the generation we live in or the country we live in. It takes a conscious decision to make a philanthropic gesture. For some that decision is easier than for others. We have to insure the well-being of our own before we can assist others. Considering Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, this could fall in anywhere from Love and Belonging on up, because, although we are helping another, at least part of the decision is based on answering our own need.

So back to the original question. In order for the slack to be taken up without government interference, the needs of a significant part of the population would need to be met to a level that sufficient disposable resources are available to stabilize the needs of others. If my family barely has enough to eat, I am not going to starve them to feed others.

 

[BlackShanglan]

So back to the original question. In order for the slack to be taken up without government interference, the needs of a significant part of the population would need to be met to a level that sufficient disposable resources are available to stabilize the needs of others. If my family barely has enough to eat, I am not going to starve them to feed others.

What an excellent point. I was just mulling that over this morning myself, in a slightly different light but still with the central idea of break-even point. I was thinking that perhaps there are levels of competition / challenge that are break points too - that is, a level of challenge beyond which people will not choose to compete because the field of competition appears to them to be too uneven or too forbidding to make it worthwhile.

I remember a young man Henry Mayhew interviewed in London in the mid-1800's. The boy had seen his neighbour, a silk-weaver (a skilled trade requiring some years of training) lose everything and starve when his trade was mechanized, and the boy's response was that he'd learned a trick worth twice that. He was a thief; he'd been able to practice his trade since he was a child, and it would never be destroyed by industry. He'd opted out. He couldn't see any way that competing in the marketplace would be likely to reward him, so he chose not participate in the legal market at all.

Push that far enough, I suppose, and you get Robin Hood - opting out of the legal marketplace, but with enough surplus to help others. *laugh*

 

[Stella_Omega]

Yes, but the authority figure "guilted" them instead of creating a tax and forcibly taking it from them under the threat of jail (and somehow finding a way to enrich himself in the process). I'll take Dave's method.

Regardless of the threat of jail and self-enrichment parts of your answer (Because the authority figure could have threatened to fire them, and could have pocketed a small percentage) this still presupposes that there will be an authority figure who cared enough to go to the trouble.

He'd opted out. He couldn't see any way that competing in the marketplace would be likely to reward him, so he chose not participate in the legal market at all.

We are seeing a burgeoning grey market, thanks to ebay and ecommerce in general. Plenty of ecommerce people that I know do not bother to license their little businesses.

 

[slyc_willie]

Only in the AH would a rant turn into a political discussion

Thanks, guys. And now for an update:

Mike called me a while ago. he flew out this morning at 6 am and landed just before noon in Orlando. His father was awake, but groggy. Having his grandson sitting on his chest got a smile out of him.

Mike's fatehr is going in for double-bypass surgery tomorrow, and there's now a good chance he'll make it. Soon as the 'old man' is well, Mike's moving him out here to Texas.

Looks like those positive thoughts and prayers helped, everyone. Thanks to all of you.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

This is wonderful news, baby.