This is developing into a love in - surely someone can start to throw a few insults about!! As part of the love in though ... Me and Mrs yellowbelly were in India for a month December into January - as well as some fantastic sights and experiences we came across some desperately sad situations so we tried a few simple things that "felt right" for us 1. Every time we ate out we would order an extra main meal and some rice and have the restaurant "pack up" the extra food for when we left - we would then hand that to one of the families in the street (wasn`t expensive and the smiles of appreciation were well worth it. 2. We had planned on the way out to visit a temple local to the village from where the Indian side of the family is based and we took a load of old clothes and handed them out to those who needed them. 3. Every time we left a hotel we would pack up a bundle of the freebies from the room and do a similar thing in terms of handing it out - the kids enjoyed the mini-bar chocolate (I didn`t mind telling a fib that we`d not touched it!) and the mums seemed to appreciate some products to either sell or use to clean thier youngsters. 4. The most fulfilling bit though was a visit to "The Mango Tree Trust" (http://www.mangotreegoa.org/) which is an educational charity for kids from the slums in Goa. The staff there are simply amazing and the kids inspiring - despite the fact that they have nothing they have smiles, enthusiasm and a genuine love of life. We ended up making a donation to but food for the kids for a week (c.150 kids - total cost £130 - mind blowingly cheap) and now "sponsor" a couple of children who attend (£15 per month each kid) . My 2 kids go to a private school and are on a hearts and minds campaign aimed at the parents of the kids in the last year who (like me) will not have fees to pay from the end of the academic year - if my kids can persuade a couple of them to contribute 10% of the annual fee to the trust then that will make a real difference to kids who would otherwise struggle for the rest of their lives. The entire trip made me realise how small the world is but how big some of its problems are - whilst we cannot individually solve the causes of many of them we can help some individuals - we did and are continuing to do so - I know how fortunate me and mine are to be able to help but, by helping we have all felt a bit better about ourselves - it`s good to be good. Love in over - FTM
I do a lot for those close to me, which is most important to me. There have been some hard decisions I've had to make which at the time looked like I was hurting people but in the end it has helped them. These are the worst ones for me, turning your back on somebody for their own good, sometimes people need to hit rock bottom before they wake up. I think I'll get more involved in selfless tasks for strangers in the future. I'm looking into doing this mentor thing, for under-privileged and abused kids, where you give up your own time to take them out for a day. My brother does it for a 14 year old boy who is at a foster home near him, they go to the cinema and stuff together, they go bowling, out for burgers etc. The activity is the fun part for the kid, but in my brother's 'mentor' case, the underlying lesson the kid is learning is that nobody wants to hurt him, it helps him build faith in people and trust and confidence I guess.
On the other hand if somebody asking for guidance on how they should conduct themselves because there is an inherant lack of benevolence and compassion ;remember asking for help is not a weakness.
Are you addressing any point in particular or just making statements? I rarely know with you mate cos you never use the 'Reply' function!
A general summary about peoples need to ask/talk about change/mellow in their golden years ,dont know what to call it,....the way the light or the path as i have said some see the errors in their way earlier than others some dont even detect a glimmer all their lives but people do and can change be it through old age or an event , to ask is not a weakness .
Cracking thread this & well done smug mate.. I have totally changed as a human being and for the last 6 years dedicated my life to a totally dependant woman, but I'm waning now. I call it sharing my body, why not, I ain't using it all anyway. Sometimes something clicks in the head and everything feels warm, I call that caring from the soul..
I'm lucky that I have a guiding light, even though she passed away recently, my Auntie Mary Scott was here for almost 100 years and therefore all of my life. She was a wonderful woman, a staunch churchgoer & we all totally respected her. For years I would ask myself, if I had a difficult situation, what she'd expect of me ......... I still do it now. Me & Mrs Smug often think about you all.
Likewise, it's no easy road at all and I am waning after 6 years. Lollie's been practically bed bound since the wedding, her state and winter do not go together. Each day, a different problem, the story is so repeated. Your Aunty Mary was lucky to have a nephew like you around mate, in every respect. I will end now but the best to all as always..
By some incredible coincidence we've been asked to take an urgent delivery to her home town, Chopwell, tomorrow. Not only does it mean I can call on her daughter & husband but it will pay for the whole weekend for the West Brom game. Me and our lass were coming anyway but at our own expense. It seems she's still looking down on me, God bless her.
