Faith in Kindness Restored
Just when I was ready to be all cynical and crabby and Grinch-like about the human race in the wake of my barefoot dash down an alley after my stolen lawnmower, I got an awesome email from Denise at the Bungalow Chronicles. (As well as many supportive and sympathetic comments from many of you.) But the email from Denise...well...
Let me give you some backstory.
Denise and her husband publish a houseblog called Bungalow Chronicles. They also own a jewelry store in my old neighborhood where I had a watch repaired before they or I had a houseblog. She corresponded with me and we figured out the connection.
Grace and I visited a playground in my old neighborhood last week. Since I am all about being social and often do not plan ahead, I popped in to say "hi" to Denise in person. Without any advance notice. Just in the middle of the day, Grace and I go tromping through Virag's to meet Denise, a fellow old home junkie and neighbor.
Denise was remarkably gracious when a sweaty, messy stranger and her cranky, nap-craving toddler just show up, unannounced, on the doorstep of her office. She even thrilled Grace by fetching the neighboring office's collection of dogs for her to meet. Grace shrieked and ran around with the dogs, I unsuccessfully tried to talk to Denise over the shrieking while keeping Grace from pulling tails, and Grace and I generally caused a huge uproar. An unplanned, unexpected uproar.
You'd think that I would have completely worn out my welcome with Denise, would you not?
Not even twenty-four hours after I had vented my anger at the thieves who broke into the garage and nabbed our stuff, Denise writes me a lovely note about a friend who might be selling a gently used baby jogger and (possibly) a bike trailer. And would I be interested?
I had just finished scanning Craigslist for possible replacements for our stolen stuff. (Well, not the possum poop.) And here, in my email, was a very kind email from Denise, the lovely houseblogger who I had ambushed last week. Whether we end up getting the jogger and/or trailer is beside the point. The kindness is the point.
My faith in poeple is restored. Not everyone wants to steal the lawnmowers of others.
P.S. -- Our neighbor told me that someone had tried to break into his garage recently, too. So we're all on the alert. If we can thwart any more break-ins, the sacrifice of the baby jogger will have been worth it.
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Comments
Aw shucks! Really, it was one of those happy coincidences — my friend needed to get rid of stuff (and believe me, if you saw her garage, you'd want to help her out in any way you could!), but it was crazy that she mentioned it just HOURS after I read your post!
Anyway, it's my small way of trying to repay you for all the helpful information I've read on your blog and for the fantastic houseblog community you and Aaron have created!
Oh, and please excuse the state of my husband's web site…it's the "cobbler's children have no shoes" syndrome (I really should work on that).
Posted by: denise | August 29, 2007 10:34 AM
(Waving hands wildly)
Oooh, ooh! I can replace the possum poop for you! Want some racoon poop too?
Posted by: Gary | August 29, 2007 3:10 PM
People are so good. Okay, except for the ones who are not; they deserve a tool box full of poop.
Hooray for Denise!
Posted by: Susan | August 29, 2007 8:32 PM
Two days ago I dropped my wallet somewhere on our street. Two Muslim women (well I think so because they had those head scarves on) were walking past and found it. They returned it with EVERYTHING still in it. Money cards all of it. And I just share to say at least there are some people walking through our streets and alley's that are really really good. I think I want to make a "thank you" painting and nail it to one of our neightborhood trees just in hopes that they see it.
Posted by: heidi | September 1, 2007 4:23 PM
A tool box full of crap is perfect. Damn I hate people like that. But just when you are ready to pack it all up and write everyone off someone lie Denise comes along.
We had our car stolen once and I felt so violated. When we got it back they had taken the baby seat, the bike rack, and some mixed tapes (yes this was LONG ago) and cleaned the car and hung an air freshener in it. So that made us even more offended ;-)
Posted by: chris | September 1, 2007 7:04 PM
If it were me, I wouldn't be looking for "replacement" stuff on Craigslist; I'd be looking for MY stuff. On Ebay too.
Posted by: Nick | September 2, 2007 5:45 PM