The Parking Lot

Where I work we will be having a 50 year anniversary celebration. 1970 was the groundbreaking year for our public service building.

The parking lot, also being that old, had a big hole developing in the concrete-right as you pull in and drive out.

Several contractors were asked to come take a look and give an estimate but never showed up. A fellow citizen of the community saw the need and was having some concrete work done in his nearby garage.

Today when I pulled in the parking lot, up drove a cement mixer and three men. They quickly removed all the broken concrete pieces and within 15 minutes the sinking hole was filled, leveled and smoothed, and surrounded by the same citizen’s sawhorses to shield the work while it set up.

I went to thank him, and all he said was, ‘the men had to clean out the mixer, and I said, ‘we’re going to fill the hole in the parking lot’.”

It cost our business nothing; it didn’t really cost him anything except his time and effort, yet what he did will continue to spread good will among our small community.

He decided to make it his project. It made a great impact on our little town.

His action motivates me.

What can you do to benefit your city, your town, your neighborhood, your street, your yard, your home… to elevate morale and show care for others?

Be on the lookout. Then take action.

…just a do-gooder?

How many times growing up when somebody attempted to do something nice for someone, say something nice to someone or actually did something nice for someone, were they accused of being a ‘do-gooder’. Today it is called ‘sucking-up’.

Since no one wants to be called names or accused of the above terms, many, many people with good intentions do nothing…absolutely nothing. And nothing good comes out of it.

I have been accused of being a ‘do-gooder’. I have let the fear of false accusations stop me from doing good, from helping others, from doing what I felt (knew) was right, because I was afraid of others calling me names.

There are many accusers trying to prevent others from doing good. In actuality, if the accusers had someone do something really good for them, they probably would change their tune. But the ole’ fear of what others might think or say holds many back.

The older I get, and the more pain and suffering I see, the more I realize the need to silence those fears, expose them for what they are and begin doing as much good as possible. We are each only given so much time on this earth… and there are a lot of needs … many hurting people, hurting in all kinds of unimaginable ways…hurting quietly, hoping no one will hear them cry. Are we going to continue to let them hurt when we can help them?

All it takes is to be on the lookout for ways in our everyday life to say, Hi, to be friendly to the cashier, or the old man behind us in line, to holler across the street at the neighbor and ask how they’re doing, to look our young people in the eye, smile at them and talk to them with interest, just show them somebody cares.

Don’t be afraid of being called a ‘do-gooder’ or a ‘suck-up’. Go out there and get busy doing as much good as you can.

Prove the accuser wrong…you’re doing good because people need to have good done to them.

Dissolve the accuser’s accusations by doing good– even to them!