A Stranger Gave Me A Rose
A few days ago I was out walking a family dog , here where I am staying in San Antonio Texas. Because my back is fucked up due to osteoporosis, lifelong scoliosis, and a fall two years ago, I have moderate to severe spinal stenosis and three vertebrae in my back that don't transmit nerve signals correctly. I wobble when I walk, sometimes a little and sometimes more than a little.
Anyway I was walking the dog down the street with my head down, as I have to do, and I saw a young lady park her car on the street , get out and walk toward me. When she got close she held out a rose. I said "are you giving that to me?" and she said yes. I said oh that's sweet of you and asked her if she does that often , and she said she does as she works for a florist. She keeps cut flowers in the car and stops and gives them to random people.
I said "there will be a special place in heaven for you" and she didn't answer , maybe she is an atheist. Any way I said thank you so much and she walked back to her car and drove away, perhaps to brighten someone else's day.
She looked to be about 25 years old, and I got the feeling she is not one of those young people obsessed with social media.
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For a little while it restored my faith in humanity. I wish I knew more people like that.
Morning John...what a lovely thing to do and yes there are still many good people in this world..
It's just unfortunate we don't hear about it..even a simple gidday or hi, can make someones day...
Keep on keeping on and have a great evening, or arvo which ever time zone you are in...
See even jaws is happy down here..
Is that truly the mouth of a smiling shark? Or, could be a 'gaping' hole inviting something soft and possibly crunchy enter in?
Yes there are quite a few photos of smiling sharks..just been taken at the right time..
He would be happy either way with a snack take away.. preferably a tasty tourist..
Why that one looks down right like a 'happy camper'!!! Yeah, it does! It must be a beautiful day in its 'neighborhood'!
Arvo..yes there is a saying here..
We are happy little Vegemites and that pretty well covers humans and animals..
A smiling quokka they live in WA...Kavika was very fond of them as well..😔
Well, I'll be. It is practically laughing with such an interesting tongue. Tell me, is its bottom lip so pronounced in color as in the picture or is it 'rendered' so? (In your opinion.)
Evening..no they look like that..if you google quokkas you will see heaps of photos and they all look like they are smiling..
They call them the happiest animal on earth..they only live on Rottnest island just off Perth..
aren't these the critters that will throw their baby at you so they can get away?
still awful cute
Morning..no quokkas don't do that..
Roos can do when under threat.. it's a life saving thing for the female so she can reproduce in the future at the expense of the Joey...
Think of what a wonderful world it COULD be if it were not ruined by those who are greedy, by religious fanatics, by power-hungry bastards and bullies, by those who wage wars and use weapons, but instead was a world of people like the girl who handed you a rose, by the kind of people who volunteer in food banks, by people who are concerned and do what they can to ensure that the world will be a safe and happy place for their children and grandchildren,. THEN it would be the wonderful world that Louis Armstrong wrote and sang about.
What a Wonderful World
I see them bloom for me and for you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
The bright blessed days, dark sacred nights
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Buzz, how touching. Really. You know, there is one line in your comment (see underline):
Are there food banks in China? I really do not know . . . we are told by those who tell us stuff about CCP and it ain't nice 'stories' - so I feel the question is warranted!
The sentiment in "What A Beautiful Word" should impact all that hear it.
I do not wish to rain on the beauty being expressed here, And yet and yes—and the world is proving to be a MESS as 'messers' are messing it up again!
Since abject poverty and hunger were eradicated in China around 5 years ago after a ten year effort there has not been any need for food banks. However, China is doing what it can to fight hunger in other countries.
Having lived in China for the past almost 20 years I can tell you that there is not only unbelievable misinformation and disinformation spread about China it is almost laughable. The paranoia that China may displace America as the world's number one country prompts American government sources, amplified by American media, to regularly announce ridiculous comments about the horrors being suffered by Chinese citizens. Even though I am not a Communist and need not pay homage to China's government but have always been treated with courtesy by Chinese police and government officials, I am much more comfortable living here than I could possibly be on my meagre Canadian pension in Canada and much safer than I could possibly be in America. Yes there have been some things that have troubled me, and over the years I have indicated in comments on NT what they were, but then, as Joe E Brown said at the end of Some Like it Hot: "Well, nobody's perfect."
I think I may have read that China has something of a 'universal income' - is that what you mean? If so, then such a thing does work (well)? Because the 'abject' poverty is visually spreading 'all' around in some quarters. . . it appears to be growing and worse---'hardening.'
I love that sharing! And anytime you wish to share more (clear the air/confusion/misinformation) go for it. I am open to learning. Or, I can just learn from the 'occasion' of your mentioning.
"Universal income?" LOL Well, my wife doesn't get it, nor does anyone I know here, so if there IS such a thing I had better sign up for it. What is happening here is that the middle class is growing steadily, and even the poor have a roof over their head, good food on the table, free education for their children to high school graduation and affordable decent modern health care.
By the way, although my vision is waning and I need stronger glasses, using 14 pt font like I do is sufficient.
I feel similarly when I hear this administration's actions to minimize and decrease black Americans and other minorities (see "Replacement theory") life experiences and alter or (destroy) a liberal worldview. Some Americans have the damnedest notion that a majority of minorities want to displace white Americans in their role as 'host' or lead citizens. Sure! Some nominal percentage of minorities may dream of besting whites in this country. . . it is the larger percentages of minorities that simply want to be treated fairly, 'whole,' and as belonging without conservatives turning our lives into misery (on a long-term basis).
(There I go-can't help myself-getting political on an otherwise beautiful experience for JR!) LOL! Who am I kidding? It's JR's article. JR!
Still, I hope I have not gone too far with you or JR on this one! If so, just hint at it and I will leave off!
Thank you for this.
What a lovely gesture
A "precious" random act of kindness! JR, you have shared several issues with your health over years and yet I feel that I learned more about you in this brief article-including the imagery of you not being in Chicago! I wish you well, of course, in your endeavors in liberal-leaning San Antonio, Texas.
I think a lot of people need to hear that. Evidence of humanity is getting more and more scarce.
I would love it if somebody gave me a flower once and a while, albeit I would love it from a male. Yeah, I comprehend how hard that is in the world to do!
It's all good! It's all good!
BTW, JR must really have been surprised by the act of kindness. . . it moved him to post. . . and JR has never impressed me as a sentimentalist.
Like others, I think this article is a 'warm' place in a frigid setting right now. . . I can appreciate being near it!
Hal, good picture! It captures the spirit of the act and this 'moment' on NT!
Arvo CB..well you could always start a trend and give a flower to someone else and make their day as you pass by..
Just never know, it may just catch on..one for you from my garden..🐨
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! How lovely! And from your personal garden. It's beautiful. Just beautiful. I bet the colors are just 'popping' over there. I will admit the very though of the article has given me the idea to give a (single) long stem rose to someone. . . and I wonder if they will accept it as a kindness or will they think I am INTERESTED?! Hmmm. You may can tell I am new and green at this one.
Do not get me wrong. I give the homeless money often enough—really. The last case of that was I won a hundred dollars on a Lottery scratcher ticket and immediately I look out the store front window of the 'quickie mart' and saw a young white male eating out of the trash. . . (actually that is not true) I did not see him the same day. . . I saw no homeless, yet I kept the spirit in my heart that I would give a designated amount to the first homeless person that moved my spirit. Turns out the next day, I wen to the 'quickie mart' and that is when he appeared and I gave him a ten dollar bill. It was nothing as 'sweet' as a rose (he might have been offended or confused by it) but he did go into the store as I drove away.
I wrote all that to clarify that I am a 'giver.'
Beautiful - that should have been posted on the Creative Arts Weekend as well.
For you, CB. these actually came from MR G so consider it flowers from a man.
HA!
I am outdone. These roses are beautiful. And, never have I ever been privileged to such treatment as you have given me today. Sigh! It makes 'all this" feel worthwhile! Thank you so much for such a splendid gift! I really mean it. I really do!
(A woman just gifted me with a virtual gift from her husband and life-partner! As momma would say. . . "Well, blow me down!")
Morning...wow Mr Fishy certainly went above and beyond..
Absolutely gorgeous..
A pretty accurate representation of what happened. The young lady in the photo actually looks more than a little like the one who gave me the rose.
I love that you wrote that in following up! Just such a warm story all over!
But do you resemble the man receiving it?
I'm not that tall and don't have that much hair
The power of AI. I used to”text to image” with a prompt of “young atheist woman giving older man a rose outdoors”. I threw atheist in just to see how AI would interpret that. Kinda spooky that there’s a resemblance.
Kinda
If you did one for me it would be a beautiful Chinese woman giving an older fit man with a lot less hair a lotus.
“beautiful Chinese woman giving an older fit man with a lot less hair a lotus”
AI wanted to make the guy Chinese, so I added Jewish to man. How’d it do?
Good one. With more of a hooked nose on him, white hair, and you're almost right on. Here is the real thing.