Our neighbors are a little...er...weird.
We've tried on several occasions to make conversation with them, say hello, chat it up, etc. and typically get one or two word responses. They're not RUDE, per se, they just apparently don't talk. Or socialize. Or understand the dynamics of human social interaction.
It's a single woman and her 2 grandsons living with her. The grandmother works funky hours...I think she's a nurse or something, based on the fact that she wears scrubs (i know, I'm a genius), and sometimes I'll notice her coming home from work when I take the boys to school in the morning, and sometimes she'll be heading off to work at 9 am...or 3 pm. It's always different.
Anyway, so my Good Deed Tuesday idea was to make them a dinner so that they could just heat it up and eat it whenever was convenient for them. So this afternoon I whipped up a Fiesta Chicken Casserole and doubled it up so that I would have an extra and just a few minutes ago I took it over.
I felt a little awkward, trying to figure out how I would present it.
"Hi. I'm your neighbor. Here's some dinner I made you" ?? OR...
"I know that we never actually TALK and you've never really told me your NAME or anything, but well...here's some dinner"
They're simple folk, maybe I should go the simple route: "Hi. I made dinner. Here's some for you."
But then the door opened, so I just told them that I noticed that she seemed to work some crazy hectic hours and I thought they might like some dinner. They could eat it tonight, or freeze it and save it for another day. I put in the instructions to bake it and included a side dish with it. And our neighbor...who I've never seen smile, smiled a huge gap-toothed smile, took the food from my outstretched hand and said thank you because she hates to cook.
And then it got a little weird.
Why's that, you ask? Because she just took the casserole and shuffled back into the kitchen.
"Okay! Well...see you later!" I called. And then her grandson shut the door.
Gently.
But in my face.
LOL
But it was fun. And it was my good deed for today.
Did you do one??
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13 comments:
Your's is so much better than mine.
And your story is much more fun too.... Anyway, periodically I have an 8th grade bball player who asks me to take her home. Her father moved out of town and sometimes it's tough for the mom to come out to school to pick her up, and I'll offer to take her home. WELL....she has been asking me more and more often to give her a ride, I've become irrated and I've even told her it wasn't convienant and that I couldn't take her, that she had to ask in advance so I could plan for it, blah, blah... when that really wasn't the truth. The truth is that I just didn't feel like it... Nice huh? Today, she asked me if there was there a day that I could take her home this week. And so (thanks to Good Deed Tuesday) I said yes, and cheerfully took her home. Gosh I hope she doesen't ask me for a ride tomorrow. :)
Tammi... what happened to the trash one?
Anyway, my good deed wasn't so much trouble for me as it probably should have been.
We got to class and my friend and I forgot about this assignment that we were supposed to do. So I jumped up to run to where I work and print it off for myself. Well, while I was there I just decided to print one off for my friend too... anyway, I walked in with it and she got the points and was super surprised. It felt good... but I want next weeks to be better... much more of a stretch for me.
Lisa - i think that's great. Time is always a difficult sacrifice and the fact that you've given her rides multiple times in the past is a good deed(s) in and of itself. She'll remember that about you long after she's gone from sherwood. :)
casey - I have to save it for next week because they surprised me and came on monday! doh! so that's my good deed for next week.
I didn't do bodily harm to any 5th graders today! Does that count?
I tried to take a friend's daughter home after soccer, but she showed back up anyway.
Maybe if I plan ahead I can do better next week...
amyn
My good deed was not cursing at my son for screaming all day.
Just kidding! hee hee
Nother big, but I took our god daughter and my cousin to Turtle Park yesterday after school. They had a blast and it was good for me to get out of the house, even if it did require me to pack a mega suitcase of crap to accomidate my son and two 5 year olds snacking needs. :)
Ahem. That word is supposed to be "Nothing". Not "nother".
I apparently cant proofread today.
I made Steve and Tammi laugh...than flew to paradise..er, I mean 26 degree snowing NY!
As you already know, my Good Deed Tuesday came a day late. But I enjoyed it none the less. Today, I gave the crossing guards on Westover Rd. gift cards to Starbucks. They were quite surprised. It was a lot of fun, like you said it would be. I plan to do the same on Doncaster next week.
Good Deed Tuesdays was a great idea. Thanks Tams :)
I've not been on line for three days so I missed your challange for Tuesday. But I did a good deed without even knowing it was Good Deed Tuesday. I picked up a 1040 and took it to Grandpas and Gerry filled it out and had him sign on the dotted line. Today it went out in the mail and in a few months Grandpa will have $300 to buy some more cars. (groan) LOL
Fun idea. Next Tuesday I will be prepping for my surgery....doing the bathroom shuffle....so I wont have an opportunity to do a good deed....unless spraying the room with air freshener counts. ;)
Auntie Dee :)
Erica - you rock. You win the prize. What did they say when you gave them the gift card? Great idea.
Dee...maybe someone needs to give YOU a good deed next tuesday! Or maybe you need to do a good deed for your doctor so he'll do an extra good job on your surgery! :)
I thanked them for what they do and gave them the cards. They both didn't know what to say at first, so they just said thank you. It definitely caught them by surprise. Then one guy asked me which truck was mine because alot of people wave everyday & asked where I went to school. You could tell they were trying to figure out why I would just walk up & give them something. I told them bye and walked to my truck. It was soo much fun! :)
what a fantastic idea. Thanks for pushing us to step out of our comfort zones and touch the lives of others in unusual ways; and all for the cause of Christ!
OK...So instead of Tuesday I picked Thurs....I am in the subway waiting for the train home...it takes about 90 minutes to get home from station to station. I had decided to walk to Penn station from where I work. It's about 3.5 miles and I just needed to decompress. So I get in Penn and am looking forward to something to drink awaiting my train. I see an older black man panhandling. Not uncommon in NYC, but he was workin' it. I see him ask a couple of other people for some loose change so he can eat, clean up, help...whatever; I cannot really decipher the words. So I decide to reach into my pocket and whatever comes out; he gets. Not terribly risky on my part, but I knew ther was something in each pocket. I reach into my right pocket, grab what was in there; 6 bucks. I jam it in his cup and he looks at me like I am nuts...He thanks me and than announces ; Jesus loves your heart and I know 'cuz I am a prophet...". The other man standing next to us looks at me and we both say; ya never know. So not as special as casserole, but in keeping with the theme...
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