ON CHARITY AND CHARITABLE ACTIONS

nothing like the appreciation you get when you are charitible. the recipients never think you gave enough.

my wife (about 20 years ago) told me that a volunteer was needed to escort a (sorta') refugee family from our new jersey town to another where they could get english lessons. the place was several towns away on the commuter line and a walk of five streets. being frugal i never expected that this would cost me anything. i volunteered because it might be an interesting adventure.

i drove them from where they stayed to the train station and bought tickets expecting to be repaid. they were totally disinterested in the new jersey (ugh) landscape as we rode by,

after we got off the train the family wanted to take a cab on my dime. by this time i was becoming a bit annoyed at them. who the hell do these beggars think they are? for homeless refugees they sure have nerve. i already unexpectedly got stuck with their transportation and train tickets. angered i told them we would walk the five streets.

in my town other people (crazy do-gooders) tried to accommodate them with stuff. they wanted one family's living room set. their son wanted to be a doctor and i had some recent books from some advanced college biology courses i was taking for my amusement. they turned them down presumably because they were a year old.

i waited at the facility until they were finished and brought them home.

on another occasion i brought some stuff to a church in morristown for the down and out and some were presumably homeless. they got a free lunch and some services, if requested. i carried some things for one of the people. that person i realized was healthier and stronger than me (suckerrrrr!).

when leaving one of the people started cursing me. i know that they were not normal but taking abuse is not one of my strong points.

no good deed goes unpunished. i must control my finer instincts.

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