Sometimes I hate this world :(

[Diddums]

Just went to my local off licence to get the usual Saturday night beers and whatnot. In the shop is a little girl, couldn't have been older than 13, all by herself. She's stood at the counter starting at a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, some jam and many stacks of 1 and 2p coins, which she was counting to purchase what was obviously basic supplies. She completes her transaction and is stood with a couple of coins in her hand when she points at some sweets and asks the shopkeep how much they are. When he says 5p, she looks at the coins in her hand, says "ok, no thank you" and walks out.

Naturally I called her back and bought her some goodies and a fistful of random sweets and the look on her face made it worthwhile, but two things surrounding this encounter made me very sad: in what world should a girl of that age be out at 6pm on a Saturday night counting pennies for milk & bread. 9 days before Christmas too. The second thing is what a crap world we live in where I could easily have been considered a predator for buying a 13 year old girl some sweets.

As someone who lived on the breadline for many, many years, to see this hits really hard for me and it does make me hate this world we live in.

I can only hope that the reason she was counting pennies was that her mother / father lost their card or something and are waiting for a replacement, because no child should be in that situation, ever, let alone a week before Christmas.

//Just felt like getting that off my chest.

 

[Diddums]

Had a similar situation a few months ago but instead of a child it was a younger woman buying flowers and a card for what it seems was her mother, her card was declined and she was visibly upset and looked uncomfortable telling the self-checkout worker so I walked over and paid, she gave me a hug and wouldn't stop thanking me.

I'm rarely ever emotional and I'm usually quite the cynic but even though I'd helped her out I felt incredibly bad for her for the remainder of the night, just wondering what it must be like if life is like that for you every day. It may not have been but that's the thought process I had.

I lived like that for years. My father deserted my mother and I, she worked two jobs, at one point we were living in a caravan in my uncle's back yard with no heating in the middle of winter. My clothes and toys were all hand-me-downs and things like sweets were luxuries. That woman gave her all to look after me to the point where it almost broke here but she soldiered on, day in, day out. South Africa can be a very hard place to live, no government support, no medical care, etc. It was hard as a kid but then I also didn't know much better. I now earn a good living and make sure my mother wants for nothing. (not playing the pity card here, just explaining that I know exactly what it's like to live like that).

No person should have to live in those circumstances. Nobody.

 

[Diddums]

Use it as motivation to do something meaningful in your area. So basically volunteer with any kind of youth group/after school group/food bank/whatever. The Scouts, for example, have a massive waiting list because they don’t have enough leaders.

I wish I had the time, I really do. I'm already registering to become a STEM ambassador. Still, I'll always do my little bits to help those less fortunate than myself, and if people want to twist it in to nonce territory then they can jog on as far as I'm concerned (we do need these people obviously, I'm not blind to that fact).

 

[Diddums]

Been there as a child and as a adult so know what's it's like in these desperate situations, that's why i take zero tollerance to anyone and i mean anyone who takes the **** out of the less fortunate.

Op are you the diddums gadgee, you have many name changes.

Yep, Diddums. My name changes every week nowadays.

 

[Diddums]

Soooooo... you're prouf of pretending you're a nice person? The pride of posting just overwrote the good deed... well done there

Thank god the world doesn't have more people like you

 

[Diddums]

Come on, don't be like that. People come to the internet to vent and chat, and someone here recounting something that happened to them isn't unusual. OP was obviously upset at what he saw, and did something nice for a stranger when many would simply have turned a blind eye. Posting here to vent and tell his history shows what an affect this encounter had on his emotions, and maybe, just maybe he's inspired some of us who read his story to be a little nicer to the next stranger we encounter in difficult circumstances.

Crinkleshoes is a rather special person, don't waste your time on him

 

[Diddums]

It's called... bragging:

Merry christmas to you too sweetheart.

 

[Diddums]

Surely that's bad... if you've been drawn so far away from your basic nature that you require a forum post or video to do what's right... then something is very wrong.

Maybe I'm just naive in thinking everyone else on this forum would do the same thing... only they would not feel the need to boast about it.

I do nice things... mostly I don't tell anyone about it...

Inspiring others to perhaps do the same is a good thing, no? This isof course completely ignoring the fact that I wasn't actually bragging but expressing my disappointment that situations like this occur in the first place.

If you wish to reduce that post to bragging then that's on you.

 

[Diddums]

You brag on here about things that don’t even help others though? And people are usually polite enough or happy for you, yet you decide to be an arse to someone who isn’t really bragging at all. Maybe back to basics of practicing what you preach if this thread has triggered that response.

It's cool, one day when real life catches up with him he'll be glad to have someone help him out. People like crinkleshoes haven't hado deal with what life can really throw at you, hence his crap attitude.

 

[Diddums]

lol... I nearly killed myself last year... so yeah... I haven't dealt with the **** life throws... dumbass

When I walk through London and see a homeless guy, I usually buy them something to eat... I know how to be human... I just don't brag about my "normal" behaviour.

I think you need to re-evaluate your perception of the word "bragging". Also nope.

 

[Diddums]

Saturday night, can't be bothered arguing. Crinkle, let's just agree to disagree rather than get wound up by nonsense

 

[Diddums]

Isn't crinkleshoes the guy in motors who keeps bragging about buying new cars like Porsches but then actually doesn't because 'finances didn't synergize' or 'we couldn't come to an agreement which suited my requirements' (ie. he couldn't afford it). Very amusing.

That's the one. He seems rather passionate about this topic, maybe his mother didn't breastfeed him as a child or something

 

[Diddums]

Uhhhh... please share... I was in the process of buying a GT3 on finance but was refused on final approval due to not owning a house... please feel free to try buying the same thing in credit without owning a house.

Instead I bought a 991.1 with cash and posted pictures of it later... do you want a copy of the V5?

Then a few months later I bought an F09 cash too... want the V5 for that too?

Going to buy myself a C63 or M4 in 2018... want the V5 when I buy that as well?

Go on then... call me out... I dare you.

I don't think anyone cares what cars you own tbh.

 

[Diddums]

Interesting post that says a lot about modern days psychology. If the same event had happened to an equivalent OP in the 80s he would have thought nothing if it. Fast forward to today it he instantly assumes she comes from a broken family of alcoholic or druggie parents and is silently suffering a life of sexual abuse, bound to end up one day walking the streets.

Please go away. Forever.