Everyone whom has been camping has experienced something that was not well planned. No showers, loud neighbors, nature eating into a tent for cheetos. This time it wasn’t us. Someone else had a surprise situation. I was in the bathroom on Saturday night at Deception Pass campground. A lady had her kids in the big shower. She tried to stick some quarters in the slots. It didn’t work. Her husband called in through the window to check on them.
“It doesn’t take quarters!”
“What does it take?”
“Tokens! Where do you get tokens?”
Another lady in the bathroom said, “You get them at the front office.”
“Honey, she says you can get tokens at the front office, but it closes at 9.”
“What time is it?”
“You have two minutes.”
“Oh shoot.” And he left
“One of the ladies in the bathroom said she had two tokens back at her campsite, that would give her 6 minutes.
“Thank you! Six minutes, I can work with that.”
“I’m cold.” Said one of the kids.
I rinsed my hands and Mom-in-law met me at the door, saying that Rick was wondering if I was in there. We walked out to Rick whom had heard the whole thing as well.
“Mom, what about the tokens you got for Amanda?”
“Yup, I’m going to ask her if she is going to use them tonight. I can get her more in the morning or she can shower at home tomorrow morning.”
We went back to the site and Mom got her tokens. She marched into the bathroom and said, “Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“ I have four tokens for you.”
“Really? Thanks. Okay kids get ready.”
Mom walked back out and we listened to the mother instructing her kids to soap up and rinse off.
We all walked back the site. Mom started to tell everyone what happened. Rick and I were curious to see what would happen so we walked back to the bathroom. Up walked the husband, rather rushed and frazzled.
“It was closed when I got up there. I don’t know what to do.”
“It’s okay, one lady brought me two tokens from her site because she said she had kids too and sometimes they need a shower before bed. Then another lady came in and said, ‘Mom? Mom?’ and gave me four more. We have plenty of time now!”
“Really? Awesome. That’s really nice.”
Rick and I stood outside quietly listening; glad that we could see good karma being acted out. We walked back to the site and told Mom and everyone about it.
The Karma:
Quite simple really, Mom helped out a lady whom otherwise was in a rather unfortunate situation. That lady didn’t have to make her kids go to bed dirty. She herself got to clean up the signs of camping. For me it reassured me that not all people are bad and selfish. It was totally awesome that the other woman and Mom gave away something as simple as a $1.50 worth of tokens but it seemed to make a couples nights easier and the kids cleaner. It is the little things that count, like a gifted shower on a cool September night.
A better older sister
The Story:
Every parent seeks to show their child how to be the best person they can. In an effort to keep us from becoming like every other brother and sister constantly at each others throats, Mom made a different decision. She didn’t just say it was a phase and let it go, she actually did something about it. I must have been around 6 or 7 when she took her step to change our lives. It was just after a spat with my brother whom is 3½ years younger. He was so annoying, of course. Mom took me aside, rather than yelling at me or sending to my room she distracted my brother and sat down with me. I remember it well. It was sunny outside, early summer. Windy but warm.
“Okay, since nothing I’m doing seems to make a difference, I want you to listen closely. You aren’t in trouble.
I know he’s just a little kid, but someday he’ll be bigger and understand more. It’s important how you treat him now. You are lucky. Having a little brother means that you will always have a friend, a best friend if you want. You have to treat him better now though. Then, when he’s older, you’ll get along better. But if you are mean, and pick on him he’ll remember it when he’s older and you may loose the chance to have that best friend. Please just try to be nice to him, treat him like a friend.”
Believe it or not, that had a huge impact on me. I wasn’t a perfect older sister, but from then on I tried to be nice. After trying very hard, it became easier. I never forgot what Mom said. She was right. We got along a lot better. I wasn’t so annoyed with him and he didn’t seem to try to do nasty things back. Our lives got a lot easier.
The Karma:
My relationship with my brother improved. We became friends. I remember as a child hearing other adults tell my parents, “Your kids get along so well. I wish my kids would.” We took care of each other. He was one of the only people, when he got older, who could tell me the truth even if I didn’t want to hear it and I’d listen. Aside from our relationship, it changed how I view kids. I don’t have any of my own. When my husband and I do have kids, we won’t just sit by and watch them bicker, making each other, and us miserable. I know it doesn’t have to be that way.
Every parent seeks to show their child how to be the best person they can. In an effort to keep us from becoming like every other brother and sister constantly at each others throats, Mom made a different decision. She didn’t just say it was a phase and let it go, she actually did something about it. I must have been around 6 or 7 when she took her step to change our lives. It was just after a spat with my brother whom is 3½ years younger. He was so annoying, of course. Mom took me aside, rather than yelling at me or sending to my room she distracted my brother and sat down with me. I remember it well. It was sunny outside, early summer. Windy but warm.
“Okay, since nothing I’m doing seems to make a difference, I want you to listen closely. You aren’t in trouble.
I know he’s just a little kid, but someday he’ll be bigger and understand more. It’s important how you treat him now. You are lucky. Having a little brother means that you will always have a friend, a best friend if you want. You have to treat him better now though. Then, when he’s older, you’ll get along better. But if you are mean, and pick on him he’ll remember it when he’s older and you may loose the chance to have that best friend. Please just try to be nice to him, treat him like a friend.”
Believe it or not, that had a huge impact on me. I wasn’t a perfect older sister, but from then on I tried to be nice. After trying very hard, it became easier. I never forgot what Mom said. She was right. We got along a lot better. I wasn’t so annoyed with him and he didn’t seem to try to do nasty things back. Our lives got a lot easier.
The Karma:
My relationship with my brother improved. We became friends. I remember as a child hearing other adults tell my parents, “Your kids get along so well. I wish my kids would.” We took care of each other. He was one of the only people, when he got older, who could tell me the truth even if I didn’t want to hear it and I’d listen. Aside from our relationship, it changed how I view kids. I don’t have any of my own. When my husband and I do have kids, we won’t just sit by and watch them bicker, making each other, and us miserable. I know it doesn’t have to be that way.
Homecoming verdict
The Story:
While I was growing up, I knew what it was like to be the youngest. I have an older brother, sister, two half-brothers and two half-sisters. I was picked on by them and their friends. This is not a sob story; I don’t believe I was picked on any more than any other little brother. I also have a few unpleasant stories from school where I was picked on or demeaned. Because of all of these things, it was easy for me to see how much being picked on sucked, so I decided that I wouldn’t do that to anyone. All through high school I would stick up for underclassmen, people being picked on by ‘groups’ or anyone that just needed someone in their corner. I ended up making some good friends and I think people knew that if they needed help or were in a bind they could count on me.
As a result of this, I never really had a group that I specifically hung out with. I was, for the most part, equally accepted by everyone. In fact, the only people that really had a problem with me were the people that were picking on the people I would stand up for, because I wouldn’t let them do it.
The Karma:
I won homecoming king. It may sound odd, but because of a unique situation, which I will explain, I know it was because of the way I treated people that resulted in my winning. My girlfriend, at the time, was the student body treasurer. Because of this, she was tasked with counting the votes. I remember her telling me that they made her count them twice, and then a member of the staff counted them as well once she returned the second verdict naming myself as the winner. Apparently being involved with someone may sway their counting ability? Regardless of this, she remarked to me afterwards that I had won by a large margin in the freshmen class.
While I was growing up, I knew what it was like to be the youngest. I have an older brother, sister, two half-brothers and two half-sisters. I was picked on by them and their friends. This is not a sob story; I don’t believe I was picked on any more than any other little brother. I also have a few unpleasant stories from school where I was picked on or demeaned. Because of all of these things, it was easy for me to see how much being picked on sucked, so I decided that I wouldn’t do that to anyone. All through high school I would stick up for underclassmen, people being picked on by ‘groups’ or anyone that just needed someone in their corner. I ended up making some good friends and I think people knew that if they needed help or were in a bind they could count on me.
As a result of this, I never really had a group that I specifically hung out with. I was, for the most part, equally accepted by everyone. In fact, the only people that really had a problem with me were the people that were picking on the people I would stand up for, because I wouldn’t let them do it.
The Karma:
I won homecoming king. It may sound odd, but because of a unique situation, which I will explain, I know it was because of the way I treated people that resulted in my winning. My girlfriend, at the time, was the student body treasurer. Because of this, she was tasked with counting the votes. I remember her telling me that they made her count them twice, and then a member of the staff counted them as well once she returned the second verdict naming myself as the winner. Apparently being involved with someone may sway their counting ability? Regardless of this, she remarked to me afterwards that I had won by a large margin in the freshmen class.
The Forgotten People
The Story:
A few years ago, I used to work as a nurse’s aide at a nursing home on Whidbey Island. They can be such sad places. No one wants to live there, half the time it doesn’t seem like living. There are however, people whom can take the dullness out of life and make the residents feel less like patients and more like people.
The aide whom was training me was awesome. Everyone loved her; she was brilliant with the residents. She could diffuse any situation. She made them feel loved and special. If there was an embarrassing situation for someone she made a joke or statement that took the focus off the situation.
Once when a resident passed gas, got embarrassed and apologized, the aide said she said, “Better out than in, I always say.” The lady smiled. No worries, just like that.
She once said, early on in my training, “ I’m a big believer in Karma. What goes around comes around. I treat them the way I would want to be treated if I were here. Someday, hopefully it will come back to me. I’ll have someone nice to care for me. You’ll do fine if you remember that they are all people and deserve to be treated kindly.”
I’d like to think that I did. All the residents loved me because I actually talked to them and looked them in the eye. I hugged them when they cried, high-fived them whenever there was a hand raised in celebration. Doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone deserves to be listened to. Everyone should have a hug.
The Karma:
My interpretation of the karma would be she reminded me about the forgotten people of our society. It changed my outlook on life. They deserve consideration too. Just because they are old and wrinkly doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings. Her actions and words created in me one more person whom will treat the elderly kindly.
A few years ago, I used to work as a nurse’s aide at a nursing home on Whidbey Island. They can be such sad places. No one wants to live there, half the time it doesn’t seem like living. There are however, people whom can take the dullness out of life and make the residents feel less like patients and more like people.
The aide whom was training me was awesome. Everyone loved her; she was brilliant with the residents. She could diffuse any situation. She made them feel loved and special. If there was an embarrassing situation for someone she made a joke or statement that took the focus off the situation.
Once when a resident passed gas, got embarrassed and apologized, the aide said she said, “Better out than in, I always say.” The lady smiled. No worries, just like that.
She once said, early on in my training, “ I’m a big believer in Karma. What goes around comes around. I treat them the way I would want to be treated if I were here. Someday, hopefully it will come back to me. I’ll have someone nice to care for me. You’ll do fine if you remember that they are all people and deserve to be treated kindly.”
I’d like to think that I did. All the residents loved me because I actually talked to them and looked them in the eye. I hugged them when they cried, high-fived them whenever there was a hand raised in celebration. Doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone deserves to be listened to. Everyone should have a hug.
The Karma:
My interpretation of the karma would be she reminded me about the forgotten people of our society. It changed my outlook on life. They deserve consideration too. Just because they are old and wrinkly doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings. Her actions and words created in me one more person whom will treat the elderly kindly.
Taking out the Trash
The Story:
I would like to share with you a seemingly meaningless event that has actually shaped and defined my actions today.
Roughly 8 years ago while in high school, I was sitting in Psychology class coasting my way through the day as was the norm back then when I accidentally began to actually listen to my teacher. He was speaking on human behavior. The main point of his speech, as I remember it, was regarding the things that can be learned about a person simply by observing them. I don’t entirely know why, but a scenario he explained stuck in my mind. He told the class that from time to time he would place garbage in the hall and count how many students, and in some cases teachers would walk by without picking it up. I remember at the time not understanding the reasoning behind this. It puzzled me into thought, which, come to think of it, is perhaps the reason I have never forgotten.
Every time I see a piece of garbage on the ground, in a parking lot, or… anywhere that it shouldn’t be, (within reason mind you, I won’t stop my car on the freeway and start collecting) I would pick it up and throw it away.
I cannot stand the thought of someone leaving the garbage there to begin with, and then to think of the amount of people that walk by it without performing the simple action of picking it up and throwing it away. I despise the notion that I could ever be classified as one of these people, so I do everything I can to make sure that I never will be.
The Karma:
Karma can sometimes be difficult to interpret. Was this the play out of a man passing good Karma by being a teacher, and in turn creating a cleaner world to live in for himself? Or could this be something much larger, when you consider that you yourself are reading this, and that this may force the same reaction in you, and any of the other people that may read this.
I would like to share with you a seemingly meaningless event that has actually shaped and defined my actions today.
Roughly 8 years ago while in high school, I was sitting in Psychology class coasting my way through the day as was the norm back then when I accidentally began to actually listen to my teacher. He was speaking on human behavior. The main point of his speech, as I remember it, was regarding the things that can be learned about a person simply by observing them. I don’t entirely know why, but a scenario he explained stuck in my mind. He told the class that from time to time he would place garbage in the hall and count how many students, and in some cases teachers would walk by without picking it up. I remember at the time not understanding the reasoning behind this. It puzzled me into thought, which, come to think of it, is perhaps the reason I have never forgotten.
Every time I see a piece of garbage on the ground, in a parking lot, or… anywhere that it shouldn’t be, (within reason mind you, I won’t stop my car on the freeway and start collecting) I would pick it up and throw it away.
I cannot stand the thought of someone leaving the garbage there to begin with, and then to think of the amount of people that walk by it without performing the simple action of picking it up and throwing it away. I despise the notion that I could ever be classified as one of these people, so I do everything I can to make sure that I never will be.
The Karma:
Karma can sometimes be difficult to interpret. Was this the play out of a man passing good Karma by being a teacher, and in turn creating a cleaner world to live in for himself? Or could this be something much larger, when you consider that you yourself are reading this, and that this may force the same reaction in you, and any of the other people that may read this.
