I have a wedding photo of someone I don't know...

This puts me in mind of the old MasterCard ad campaign

Finding an old photo in your family collenction - $0.00
Finding someone who might love to have it - $0.00
Giving it to that person to spread some joy his/her way - Priceless

Offering to sell it to that person because you figured you could make a few bucks off it - A piece of your soul
 

terry123 said:
Its not just that post. Its the many, many ones that relate to it! I found an old pic of my aunt when she was a child and I knew her daughter did not have one of it. I called her and she is thrilled I am sending it to her!
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And probably happily paid postage! I purchased an antique frame from Etsy that had a portrait style photo of a woman that looked like it was from the 1930's with a name written on the back. I searched several places online trying to find a family connection to mail it to. Even tried to find her in an ancestry.com tree so I could upload it there. It's connection with people should matter in a situation like this where there's an heirloom that has sentimental value only. You could have easily given the relatives a spot of joy @debodun but they came out of this feeling negative.

Hoping that you reconsider for your sake more than theirs.
 
StarSong said:
This puts me in mind of the old MasterCard ad campaign

Finding an old photo in your family collenction - $0.00
Finding someone who might love to have it - $0.00
Giving it to that person to spread some joy his/her way - Priceless

Offering to sell it to that person because you figured you could make a few bucks off it - A piece of your soul
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I have been thinking about this since the OP intro but I was going to avoid opening my heart and being soppy over it. But reading your lovely response on the subject makes it impossible for me to keep my mouth shut. If one doesn't get any joy from being kind to someone (that being the reward in itself) and you feel that you should manipulate the situation for personal gain then something is very wrong. I'd go so far as to say that you have no sympathy for your fellow man.
 
Verisure said:
I have been thinking about this since the OP intro but I was going to avoid opening my heart and being soppy over it. But reading your lovely response on the subject makes it impossible for me to keep my mouth shut. If one doesn't get any joy from being kind to someone (that being the reward in itself) and you feel that you should manipulate the situation for personal gain then something is very wrong. I'd go so far as to say that you have no sympathy for your fellow man.
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I've never perceived karma to be a direct repayment of our actions by a larger force in the universe, but instead the gradual building of the lens through which we perceive life, the world and other beings.

People who treat the world and others gently and generously develop an expectation that the world will be gentle and generous with them. Those who are suspicious and angry toward the world find themselves surrounded by people whom they believe intentionally treat them badly.

We each construct the world we inhabit. At least that's how I see it.
 
StarSong said:
I've never perceived karma to be a direct repayment of our actions by a larger force in the universe, but instead the gradual building of the lens through which we perceive life, the world and other beings.

People who treat the world and others gently and generously develop an expectation that the world will be gentle and generous with them. Those who are suspicious and angry toward the world find themselves surrounded by people whom they believe intentionally treat them badly.

We each construct the world we inhabit. At least that's how I see it.
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I wondered about similar to that in context of this incident. I thought about encouraging a 'pay it forward' act but then it dawned on me that suspicious people might not recognize random acts of kindness offered them associated with the concept of paying it forward; they may see the kindnesses as an attempt to 'get something out of them' or manipulate them in some way. If a person can't recognize and receive something meant to give joy without strings attached, then there is nothing to pay forward.
 
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Judycat said:
It was a faux pas. We've all done it. People are too sensitive.
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It was no “faux pas that we've all done.”

The whole purpose of submitting the OP is to criticize someone for being unwilling to fork over five dollars for something that he/she rightfully expected was a good deed by the OP. The OP’s disdain is clear in the intro: “I guess it wasn't worth it to them to have a piece of their family history for a measly $5.” Yes. Correct. And? What’s the problem? Does the OP think they are compelled to buy it? Then there is the discrepancy between “I contacted them offering the photo” and ……. “a yard sale”.

I literally live downwind from Denmark and believe when I tell you that I know when something is rotten.
 
AnnieA said:
I wondered about similar to that in context of this incident. I thought about encouraging a 'pay it forward' act but then it dawned on me that suspicious people might not recognize random acts of kindness offered them associated with the concept of paying it forward; they may see the kindnesses as an attempt to 'get something out of them' or manipulate them in some way. If a person can't recognize and receive something meant to give joy without strings attached, then there is nothing to pay forward.
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Hmmmmm ... you make me think about a normal situation paying for a newly-met Russian woman's meal at a restaurant.
 
Is this any worse than the woman that took a framed picture I had hanging on a nail on the tree in the front yard when I had a sale. She put it back improperly and it fell off the tree and broke the glass and she walked away without paying?
 
Did you ever in your life think you just might be wrong? Would you admit it to yourself at least, even if you were too proud to say it out loud? Do you ever examine your life?
""The unexamined life is not worth living" (Ancient Greek: ὁ ... ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳ) is a famous dictum apparently uttered by Socrates"
 
I guess the overarching question for us all is: how do our attitudes work for us?

Are you joyful or cheerless?
Do others find you helpful or cantankerous?
Are you trusting or suspicious?
Are you generally content or dissatisfied?
Do you feel like the world is a slightly better place for you having spent time here or do you think nobody will much care when you're gone?
Do you have friends, neighbors, loved ones and acquaintances who seek out your companionship, or do the people in your life make excuses to avoid spending time with you?
Are you greeted warmly by clerks at the stores you frequent or do they grit their teeth when you approach the register because of your frequent complaints?
Are people generally happier to see you come or to see you leave?
What - if anything - makes you truly, deeply happy?

We each must answer these questions and so many more for ourselves, as Socrates said and @Pepper reminded us.
 
Remy said:
I'm not saying this to build myself up and I really don't like kids much and never had any. But in some small way, I may see my unhappy child self in some of them.

We had a garage sale and two women stopped with a little boy. He apparently had his own money and was looking at stuffed animals. Asking how much I said "how about you take as many as you want for 10 cents." I still remember him looking up at his mother all happy and exclaiming something. I think his mother said some limit but he got his stuffed animals and payed 10 cents. I still remember how excited that little kid got. He was maybe 4-5.Fisher Price sets to our Salvation Army
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Good for you! And isn't that just the best feeling...and priceless ♥️
Years ago I took some Fishers Price toys..a School, Barn, Village to our local donation center. I was feeling kind of sad that my girls had outgrown them.
It was just before Christmas and the center was closed but there was a man walking among the donations which had been placed outside the door. I went up to him and asked if he had children and when he said yes I asked if he would be interested in the toys I had. His face showed so much gratitude that to this day I smile when I think about him and I feel so much joy that I could bring happiness to him and his children. I felt really blessed that day to have met him.:)
 
Serenity4321 said:
Good for you! And isn't that just the best feeling...and priceless ♥️
Years ago I took some Fishers Price toys..a School, Barn, Village to our local donation center. I was feeling kind of sad that my girls had outgrown them.
It was just before Christmas and the center was closed but there was a man walking among the donations which had been placed outside the door. I went up to him and asked if he had children and when he said yes I asked if he would be interested in the toys I had. His face showed so much gratitude that to this day I smile when I think about him and I feel so much joy that I could bring happiness to him and his children. I felt really blessed that day to have met him.:)
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Bless you, @Serenity4321
 
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