How I got some faith in humanity today.

[Nihilanthic]

I work retail.. an auto parts store no less. So, someone came in wanting a battery. No surprise... until I take his name for the warranty.

"Last name sir?" Goering... *BLINK* "Any relation?" (stupid question...) Yes.

Wow, something else right there. But that's not the end of the story.

His battery, you see, was fine. This fresh one completely did in his old starter, frying it. It was toast. So, we got him a new starter, but he lacked the skill to put it in. His wife was sick with liver cancer at the Mayo Clinic, he was busting his ass as a carpenter (oh, the irony and coincidence... wow) to get by. He had blown tons of money on homeopathy before settling for chemo, after talking his wife into not caring about her hair over her life.

Anyway, he was... fucked, until the rare honest mechanic happened to come by, and offered to help him for free. A black man, no less.

I didn't speak a word, I would have mortified that man, and given the average person here, probably have just made them go "WHO?" if I had brought it up, but I was frankly beside myself for quite a long time there. The man was in tears and saying out loud he had lived 50 years and never been helped like that before... I patted the big ole mechanic on the back and said he did good. Too bad I couldn't speak of the quiet signifigance of what he had done, sadly. I suppose that's between me, Goerring, and the inventory computer.

But yeah, how about that, a black man, an honest mechanic to boot... donating hours of his time to safe someone down on his luck, and one who wears the stigma of the name of an evil man on top of all of it.

I think about 20 angels got their wings today... and if MLK's up in heaven he probably shed a tear or two. Thankfully James Brown was up there to make it a party worth having... and my bitter self down here actually smiled for once in a long time.

Just... wow. What a story... what a set of coincidences!

And now, you can talk about the time niles, a nazi and a honest mechanic walked into an autoparts store sometime when you're sharing stories around a bowl of TBPITW.

[Ursus]

Make that 21 sets of wings, one for you.  Thank you for noticing, and for sharing, that we all may be so inspired...   ::dove::    ::heart::

[psy]

People are just as capable at doing good as they are at doing evil.  I'm not much of an optimist, but that is a fact.

[Deborah]

Ditto Niles. Thanks for sharing.
It is frequently those who understand what being "down on your luck" means who are the first in line to help.
That was refreshing. But, I can't help wonder, if that reality will still exist when that generation leaves us. That's my mom's generation and a few in mine. Born mid 30s to mid 50s.
Oh well, for the meantime, it's nice to hear it's still alive in some people. And that's hopeful!

[Oz girl]

I think altruism is still alive. And not just in older ppl. This is a little Pollyanaish so i expect to see a few rolf icons, but IMO the majority of people are basically good and want to do the right thing by others or help out those less fortunate than themselves. it is just easier to dwell on all the shitty things that happen in life. Afterall why is it that we feel disgust when people behave badly if not for the fact that it offends our sensibilities.

It is prolly eaiser to empathise with someone down on their luck if you have been there yourself, but most of us are not made of stone.
Afterall i was never sent to a TBS gulag but i can still feel for the kids who are

[Truth Searcher]

I'm missing a piece of the puzzle ... forgive my total ignorance ... who is Goering? (Certainly not a distant relative of the Third Reich ... Nazi Germany Goering?)

[Infinity]

Yes, Nazi Germany Goering... Hitler's second in command; sentenced to death at the Nuremberg trials; committed suicide before being executed.

Wow, what a black sheep to have in your family tree. I thought I was bad just having a murderer and a horse-thief in mine!

If that mechanic isn't a millionaire in his next life, I'd be surprised. (Which is saying a lot, since I don't believe in reincarnation or karma!)

[AtomicAnt]

A black man, no less.

What!? Are you kidding me?  You think it is some kind of miracle that a black man can be altruistic?

What the fuck?

Read your post and pretend you are a black man. How would you feel about that statement?

[Nihilanthic]

A black man helping the relative of a NAZI...

Context, ant.

Anyway, its okay to overcompensate for where you live  :rofl:

[Ursus]

What!? Are you kidding me? You think it is some kind of miracle that a black man can be altruistic?

I agree with Nil; note the context.  It was the justaposition of their (helper and helpee) respective cultural and familial heritages that made the circumstance so noteworthy.  Only incidental if either one of them realized it.

[AtomicAnt]

What!? Are you kidding me? You think it is some kind of miracle that a black man can be altruistic?

I agree with Nil; note the context.  It was the justaposition of their (helper and helpee) respective cultural and familial heritages that made the circumstance so noteworthy.  Only incidental if either one of them realized it.

I suppose. I read the post again and it doesn't explicitly say that the black mechanic knew the guys name or background. Niles knew. But it does not say the mechanic knew. So I figured he did not.

And, I still don't see why a black man would be more or less adverse than anyone else to assisting a Nazi.

[Anonymous]

And, I still don't see why a black man would be more or less adverse than anyone else to assisting a Nazi.

A lot of blacks actually hate Jews.

[try another castle]

And, I still don't see why a black man would be more or less adverse than anyone else to assisting a Nazi.

A lot of blacks actually hate Jews.

That's only because we run the media.  

[Nihilanthic]

What!? Are you kidding me? You think it is some kind of miracle that a black man can be altruistic?

I agree with Nil; note the context.  It was the justaposition of their (helper and helpee) respective cultural and familial heritages that made the circumstance so noteworthy.  Only incidental if either one of them realized it.

I suppose. I read the post again and it doesn't explicitly say that the black mechanic knew the guys name or background. Niles knew. But it does not say the mechanic knew. So I figured he did not.

And, I still don't see why a black man would be more or less adverse than anyone else to assisting a Nazi.

Jews and Blacks were on the top of the list to be "answered" last I checked?

I dunno, I think you just jumped the gun here. You know be better than that ant  :wink: