Should We Sustain The Values Of Kindness And Generosity Today?

A true friend is one that you can turn to with any problem. They will always support.
Friends are not just people to have coffee with.

I just returned from the UK after over a month there on a canal boat. It is an unwritten law for boat people to help one another. I met many kind people, mainly in small villages and on the canals. One took me food shopping every week.
The cities and towns were totally different in atmosphere. I often felt an almost threatening atmosphere.

On the day I was leaving London at midday, I noticed a man on the pavement/sidewalk everyone walked past, and at four pm, he was still there, so I approached cautiously and asked what had happened. He was polite and elderly. He had fallen and hit his head, and no one had stopped. Another girl approached. We called an ambulance. The man lived two blocks away and couldn’t make it home. He had been in the hot sun for four hours. Sadly, I couldn't follow up with him as I was leaving London that day. He was not homeless or a druggy or asking for money.

Later on the boat, I was in the town of Northampton. I was constantly asked for money from people sitting in the streets. A few were abusive when I refused money.
In a small village, I had walked there for miles to find a doctor's surgery and felt exhausted. A lady asked if I was ok. I replied yes. She said you look exhausted; where are you going? I explained a doctor’s surgery. She said she would show me the way. She asked where I lived…I replied a canal boat. She explained that her daughter was the manager there, so I could be considered a temporary resident, although I was not in the system. She phoned her husband and they drove me back to the boat as it was raining. The next day, I picked up my prescription.

Aretha Franklin - Lean On Me

Genuine acts of kindness mean so much. But how do you know who is genuine and who isn’t?
I’m sure we all wish to help the genuine, but it isn’t always possible to know who is.
I used to carry a small purse of change, but in my hometown, I was asked for money on a daily basis. It’s a town full of refugees.
My grandmother would have given almost everything she had to someone to help. But I feel generosity is often considered a weakness and not always appreciated these days.
What are your views? Does it depend where you are, on culture or upbringing?

Natalie Merchant - Kind and Generous

James Taylor - You've Got A Friend

It’s nice to be back with y’all. Missed you. Love you!
The subject is generosity and kindness. Is it part of our culture today? Should it be as some people may be unscrupulous and take advantage? Should charity begin at home? Has society changed to one of not caring?
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Most of all, enjoy.

Lian and Kieran