We're poor... (a light-hearted tale)

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psych2b

ever hopeful
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Ok, so can I just say that going to medical school is a really good way to rack up tons of debt while making absolutely no money? I don't really consider our little family as "poor," and think we actually have way too many material goods as it is (hence the need to throw so much away prior to the Big Move) - but let me tell you all a leetle storeee...

Day before Easter, we sold one of our cars and decide to go get ice cream to celebrate. This, unfortunately was a spur of the moment thing that occured prior to my really waking up, so I hadn't showered & just threw on whatever clothes happened to be clean (not much) - no makeup, just finger-combed my bed-head. Ugh, right? Well, what did it matter? It's just the neighborhood ice cream store, so whatever, right? HAHAHAHAHA ha.... We get out of the last remaining car, and immediately an elderly woman starts calling out to us, and I totally don't think she's talking to us, b/c who would be wanting to talk to us?! But, she persists, and she is looking right at us. No one else is really in her line of sight... I look behind us, and there's no one... So it must be us. We go over and she says "guess how many eggs are in this basket" ... I guess 24, and she's sort of scoping us out. Then, she insists my hubby guesses. He guesses 32. And she says "Um... I'm going to say... You're Right!" And then she hands us all these clothes exactly our little son's size from the upscale children's boutique, that we've never even entered b/c the prices are $50/t-shirt (according to the tags on the shirts she gives us). Then, we say thanks, and go in to the ice cream store. She looks us over, and goes her merry way. She returns a few minutes later, arms full of yet MORE clothes from the chi-chi store, to give to our little boy, who is in rather scrubby looking clothes (we didn't change him from his sleep-clothes) - he's in an ancient faded pilly tie-dye and old knit shorts... I'm in an old white t-shirt and ill-fitting skirt. Hubby's in a shirt he found at the thrift store and too-short pants... I realize that she has taken pity on our scrubby selves and bestowed well over $500 worth of clothes on our little guy - (not that many clothes, but they're REALLY pricey) - but he's easily set for the summer.

And my mother arrives next month for graduation, so the little one will be presentable. He now owns seersucker shorts and a wetsuit... Not that he scuba-dives. *grin* Anyway, it's nice to know that our fashion sense and general laissez-faire au naturel style incited a wave of pity from the local proprietess to bestow gorgeous duds on our little boy... I guess our financial status is a teensy bit more evident than we realized. *laugh*:laugh:
 
Better check those clothes for lice, mites and other parasites.
 
glorytaker said:
Better check those clothes for lice, mites and other parasites.


Heehee. Wont those all come out in the wash?
 
Is anyone else struck by how incredibly kind that was of this woman??? Imagine if you had been destitute and unable to clothe your child, and suddenly, out of nowhere, some generous soul bestows all of these gifts upon you. I think it's pretty darned cool to know that people like that are still in the world!
 
tridoc13 said:
Is anyone else struck by how incredibly kind that was of this woman??? Imagine if you had been destitute and unable to clothe your child, and suddenly, out of nowhere, some generous soul bestows all of these gifts upon you. I think it's pretty darned cool to know that people like that are still in the world!

Amen, very cool! 👍
 
I must be jaded . . . My impression was "how rude of her to assume you needed help." Seriously though, weren't you at all offended?
 
kittycat_642 said:
I must be jaded . . . My impression was "how rude of her to assume you needed help." Seriously though, weren't you at all offended?

My impression was "How cool to be able to commit a random act of kindness on Easter weekend." Hope you'll get the chance to "pay it forward" someday, psych2B.
 
Awwwwwwwwww. It's so nice to know that a total stranger was so kind.
I love the "warm fuzzy" stories.
 
That was a very nice lady. 👍
 
kittycat_642 said:
I must be jaded . . . My impression was "how rude of her to assume you needed help." Seriously though, weren't you at all offended?
Nope. 😳 I was actually a little chagrined by our "rolled out of bed" public state (hadn't quite realized how we might be perceived, just focused on obtaining a frosty treat), but extremely grateful for her kindness. Posted the story b/c I thought some of y'all might like a happy easter story. 🙂

I do hope to "pay it forward" in the future, when finances allow - until then, volunteering at local shelters and soup kitchens will have to suffice. 😍
 
psych2b said:
Ok, so can I just say that going to medical school is a really good way to rack up tons of debt while making absolutely no money? I don't really consider our little family as "poor," and think we actually have way too many material goods as it is (hence the need to throw so much away prior to the Big Move) - but let me tell you all a leetle storeee...

Day before Easter, we sold one of our cars and decide to go get ice cream to celebrate. This, unfortunately was a spur of the moment thing that occured prior to my really waking up, so I hadn't showered & just threw on whatever clothes happened to be clean (not much) - no makeup, just finger-combed my bed-head. Ugh, right? Well, what did it matter? It's just the neighborhood ice cream store, so whatever, right? HAHAHAHAHA ha.... We get out of the last remaining car, and immediately an elderly woman starts calling out to us, and I totally don't think she's talking to us, b/c who would be wanting to talk to us?! But, she persists, and she is looking right at us. No one else is really in her line of sight... I look behind us, and there's no one... So it must be us. We go over and she says "guess how many eggs are in this basket" ... I guess 24, and she's sort of scoping us out. Then, she insists my hubby guesses. He guesses 32. And she says "Um... I'm going to say... You're Right!" And then she hands us all these clothes exactly our little son's size from the upscale children's boutique, that we've never even entered b/c the prices are $50/t-shirt (according to the tags on the shirts she gives us). Then, we say thanks, and go in to the ice cream store. She looks us over, and goes her merry way. She returns a few minutes later, arms full of yet MORE clothes from the chi-chi store, to give to our little boy, who is in rather scrubby looking clothes (we didn't change him from his sleep-clothes) - he's in an ancient faded pilly tie-dye and old knit shorts... I'm in an old white t-shirt and ill-fitting skirt. Hubby's in a shirt he found at the thrift store and too-short pants... I realize that she has taken pity on our scrubby selves and bestowed well over $500 worth of clothes on our little guy - (not that many clothes, but they're REALLY pricey) - but he's easily set for the summer.

And my mother arrives next month for graduation, so the little one will be presentable. He now owns seersucker shorts and a wetsuit... Not that he scuba-dives. *grin* Anyway, it's nice to know that our fashion sense and general laissez-faire au naturel style incited a wave of pity from the local proprietess to bestow gorgeous duds on our little boy... I guess our financial status is a teensy bit more evident than we realized. *laugh*:laugh:

Oh, I just realized this wasn't a neighbor! How NICE!!!!!!!

wow. thats just amazing 😳
 
By the way..did you or your husband check your wallets while distracted over the wonderful hand-me downs!!! Thats a very old trick, and you were lucky not to be scammed. generally they work in pairs, so maybe the sinlgle old lady was not much risk. I'm sorry, I may be a doctor, but if my family is in the car with me, I drive right by the car broken down on the road side..too much to risk these days! 😀
 
Damn right. I pulled up to an accident once, and the cops told me they'd put me in the back of my car if I didn't go away. Last time I stop.
 
APACHE3 said:
By the way..did you or your husband check your wallets while distracted over the wonderful hand-me downs!!!

They weren't hand-me downs... They were brand-new clothes from the chi-chi boutique's owner - she was having people guess how many eggs were in the basket in exchange for the clothes, but took pity on us.🙂

Also, we didn't have our wallets on us - just some crumpled bills and coins - enough for the ice cream. So, I guess we really ARE poor. :laugh:
 
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