NationStates Jolt Archive

Let's hear your individual stories of how you helped someone out.

Saying, "I paid my taxes so that NHS wouldn't go out of business" does not count.

Or, if you don't like helping others, or haven't helped anyone recently, let's hear your reasons.

Does a bad economy prevent you from helping others? Do you volunteer your time and effort helping others?

Why, or why not?

Nothing. :)

I posted in Hotwife's thread.

I flew to Vegas to bring tidings of good sex and carnal joy.

I also volunteer with Student Legal Services, bringing criminal law representation to the indigent and amusing.

I flew to Vegas to bring tidings of good sex and carnal joy.

No one spreads joy like you, Neesika. :p

No one spread joy like you, Neesika. :p

spreading joy all over her face.

I'm giving a friend and co-worker a 3 channel R/C transmitter, receiver, and servos for his son's Christmas gift. It's my way of promoting the hobby, and it gave me an excuse to pick up a new Futaba 3PM (http://www2.gpmd.com/image/f/futk16.jpg) transmitter and Futaba R153F (http://www2.gpmd.com/image/f/futl0364.jpg) receiver.

i took our business' staff out for lunch cos the business couldn't afford a christmas lunch/party/whatever, so i made sure we all had something to look forward to and a little 'well done'

its not much, but it was nice

spreading joy all over her face.

that was predictable

that was predictable

I'm on my first cup of coffee, cut me some slack. :tongue:

i took our business' staff out for lunch cos the business couldn't afford a christmas lunch/party/whatever, so i made sure we all had something to look forward to and a little 'well done'

its not much, but it was nice

That's cool. I didn't get a staff party this year. :(

I have helped people out recently, but not without also helping myself in some way or "scoring a favor" each time.

Nothing particularly romantic. Helping a few friends to do work on their cars. Helping some friends' kids (I mean teens, not infants) with basic firearms handling. Giving out some things I didn't need was the closest I came to the traditional idea of helping out recently.
Not much of a helper-out. Although I think I did better than hot sex with the city of Lost Wages, at least. Well, also did some bringing knowledge of not being caught under drug laws to people who want to enjoy their right to their own body.

As for bad economy...I guess buying stuff they people can't sell from them might not count as pure help, exactly. But I did it with the good intentions of helping out.
Didn't enlist into community service or whatever they call it. Find it useless.

So I sort of help others when I don't have to go far out of my way, but otherwise I'd rather overtime at work doing something useful than go around spreading leaflets and think I'm helping someone.

I gave my friend a lift, saving him the cost of a taxi.

Although... I guess that negatively affects the taxi drivers' income... aww..

I gave my friend a lift, saving him the cost of a taxi.

Although... I guess that negatively affects the taxi drivers' income... aww..

by helping one, you screwed another. But that is life.

I have helped people out recently, but not without also helping myself in some way or "scoring a favor" each time.

Nothing particularly romantic. Helping a few friends to do work on their cars. Helping some friends' kids (I mean teens, not infants) with basic firearms handling. Giving out some things I didn't need was the closest I came to the traditional idea of helping out recently.
Not much of a helper-out. Although I think I did better than Neesika at least. Well, also did some bringing knowledge of not being caught under drug laws to people who want to enjoy their right to their own body.

As for bad economy...I guess buying stuff they people can't sell from them might not count as pure help, exactly. But I did it with the good intentions of helping out.
Didn't enlist into community service or whatever they call it. Find it useless.

I dunno. Sex with Neesika sounds pretty hot.

I dunno. Sex with Neesika sounds pretty hot.
Yeah, but it would make me a polygamist, and according to popular verdict they are inherently evil.

No thanks, I'll pass.

Yeah, but it would make me a polygamist, and according to popular verdict they are inherently evil.

No thanks, I'll pass.

Having sex with a woman makes her your wife?

Having sex with a woman makes her your wife?

Isn't that how it works in saudi arabia? :P

Not much of a helper-out. Although I think I did better than Neesika at least.
I sacrifice a full morning a week to be in court, representing people that would otherwise have to self-represent. That's hours of class I miss and need to make up. I have to pay a babysitter $50 for one night every second week in order to volunteer in that capacity. I also cofounded a student group to provide support to students in law who have children, I am heavily involved in our aboriginal student's association and in my own community. I do this on top of being a full time student, and a full time single mother. I've got 15 solid years of political activism in grassroots, tangible-results orientated groups.

I don't run around tooting my own horn because there isn't much need for it...IMO if you aren't doing anything at all in a volunteer capacity, it's either because you're simply too stretched too thinly to do so, or you don't give a fuck.

Yeah, but it would make me a polygamist, and according to popular verdict they are inherently evil.

No thanks, I'll pass.

Is this not the season to spread your love around? ,)

I´m kidding of course, could not resist.

Having sex with a woman makes her your wife?
Not legally, but that makes me cheat on the one I'm in a serious relationship with.

And the only time I even contemplated that was on a ship when I finally grew way too tired of porn.



I sacrifice a full morning a week to be in court, representing people that would otherwise have to self-represent.
Now that's something!

Nothing like having sex with Lost Wages. It's not community service if it's so much fun.


IMO if you aren't doing anything at all in a volunteer capacity, it's either because you're simply too stretched too thinly to do so, or you don't give a fuck.
Well, basically I don't happen to have many people around whom I could help specifically. And the "community service" kind of help... just not my thing. I only enjoy helping specific people, not "maybe someone".

Nothing like having sex with Lost Wages. It's not community service if it's so much fun. I disagree. I mean, I don't actually consider my sex romps to be community service :P But I generally quite enjoy the work that I do...it's something I can really get into. The best 'jobs' I ever had were unpaid. If I could make a living like that, I'd be thrilled. I don't think you could do any sort of volunteer work long term if you didn't derive great satisfaction from it...you'd burn out otherwise.



Well, basically I don't happen to have many people around whom I could help specifically. And the "community service" kind of help... just not my thing. I only enjoy helping specific people, not "maybe someone".
Find something more tangible. That was my problem...I didn't want to just give some organisation my money and expect them to help people on my behalf. I wanted to see results. You could work your local Food Bank, for example and you're helping specific people. You're better off, with your focus, doing some actual volunteering of your time, because then you actually get to see those results and it's as valuable, if not more so than just donating cash.

Just a thought. Another way some people I know keep 'active' is to just support their local communities in whatever capacity they can...bartering, doing 'favours' for neighbours...neighbours who then help you out when you need it, creating a more textured and interwoven gift economy that helps draw people together. I think that's just as necessary and valid.

I disagree. I mean, I don't actually consider my sex romps to be community service :P But I generally quite enjoy the work that I do...it's something I can really get into. The best 'jobs' I ever had were unpaid. If I could make a living like that, I'd be thrilled. I don't think you could do any sort of volunteer work long term if you didn't derive great satisfaction from it...you'd burn out otherwise.
Yeah, I referred to the more *physical* kind of satisfaction referenced earlier. Or, cases where the satisfaction comes mostly from things other than knowing that you're helping. Say, things such as religious or ideological preaching, people don't do it for the others, they do it to promote their agenda, if it might be helpful to someone, that's a side effect.
Or when I'm showing the kids how to handle a car in dangerous conditions, how to assume a crash position, or how to keep safe with firearms - it's surely helpful, but I'm doing it more to promote the things I consider everyone should know than to be of help in what they want help with. Although I guess it tends to overlap, i.e. there's part of being helpful and part of satisfying your own desire to improve the world how you see right.


That was my problem...I didn't want to just give some organisation my money and expect them to help people on my behalf.
Yes, that's part of the issue. The key problem is that these organizations often don't do what they promise to, or do it in a very wasteful way. Some are even used for profit, and some put it into very wrong hands. Not that it's the common case, but it can discourage one from donating.


I wanted to see results. You could work your local Food Bank, for example and you're helping specific people. You're better off, with your focus, doing some actual volunteering of your time, because then you actually get to see those results and it's as valuable, if not more so than just donating cash.
Probably. But it's a fairly good locale, I'd have to drive a good while to do that. It's just not high priority right here. And, I know it's a bit arrogant, but it feels to me like I'd be wasting my time driving a good way to do things anyone could do, including local people. Maybe if I had lots of excess time, but usually I'm on too tight a schedule as it is.


Just a thought. Another way some people I know keep 'active' is to just support their local communities in whatever capacity they can...bartering, doing 'favours' for neighbours...neighbours who then help you out when you need it, creating a more textured and interwoven gift economy that helps draw people together. I think that's just as necessary and valid.
Now this is what I'm much more inclined to do. Of course, I'm not helping the least fortunate that way, but I'm helping the people I know, and our neighborhood is very close-knit, so it's not something out of the ordinary.
I help fix or modify someone's car or do some welding, they help me to install the plumbing. People here have all sorts of handy skills, so we don't need to rely on external services. It's not close to the mall, but I often pick up stuff for the neighbors, so do other people with trucks, so we waste less fuel, money and time. All tools are pretty much common property within a few hundred yards, so we save on lower redundancy. Then there are money-related things, say people don't need to fear about the job, as someone will always help you get one. And no worry about temporary shortages or emergency expenses, there's always a dozen people to borrow from. By itself, each is a small thing, but overall, I think it's what keeps our neighborhood in the state of being a successful one. At least we make sure that we don't end up needing external help. Maybe it's not much, but better than nothing.

Went to the pub with all mah pals.

I volunteered at a shelter and passed out coats and stuff. Stupid Chicago winters.