What is the kindest thing a man has ever done for you or that you have seen him do?

19 comments

1. Understanding my complex and weird mum, and making her feel understood, welcomed and loved.

2. So, during covid lockdown, my place of employment segregated departments to reduce the chances of covid spreading like wildfire through the factory.

   One of the things they did was hire a “shit ton” of portaloos (or portapotty for the americans) and allocated departments to use of specific ones. My department had one portaloo to share between 10 people of both genders.

   I got my period shortly after the change and because we shared our portaloo with the guys and there was also no disposal unit for sanitary items, I snuck into the toilet cubicles we used to be able to use because I felt really embarrassed about everyone being able to see that I was bleeding etc, etc…

   A lady saw me, came in to the toilets while I was already peeing and tidying myself up, and threw a shit fit saying that I couldn’t use their toilets (any other time, I would’ve agreed with her) but I said “I have my period and I need to use a flushable toilet that has a sanitary disposal unit!”
   And she said “Well, you need to speak to management about that!”
   And I said “I do not want to have to speak to management every time I have my period!”
   And she left angrily and reported me.

   My male boss received the report and then went down and yelled at her, saying “DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF CONDITION SHE IS IN!?!?”
   Which I lol’d at because it made it sound like I was bleeding out slowly to death.
   He also stressed that it was unfair that 10 members of our team were forced to use one portaloo.
   It wasn’t her fault of course, but she apologized anyway.

   That was the nicest thing a dude ever did for me. A true gentleman.

3. A Man stopped to ask if I was okay and if I needed help because he thought my Boyfriend was yelling at me (my bf was abusive but, at that moment he was yelling at someone on the phone, not me).

   I have no idea who he was and I never got the chance to say thankyou but I was so struck by that kind action, that I still remember it 6 years later.

4. I was 17 and stuck with a flat tire in the rain on a slightly hilly street. I knew how to change the tire so I got out and was trying to get everything sorted out while becoming wetter and wetter.

   A man on a *bicycle* saw me and stopped. He was on the totally separate bike path and crossed the weedy mud to get to me. Told me to get in the car and he’d handle it, then proceeded to change my tire for me.

   It’s been 14 years and I could still pick him out of a crowd. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was incredibly kind. Dude was on a fucking bicycle and he saw a flustered child and didn’t hesitate to help.

5. My father bankrupted his company during the early 90s crash to ensure that he could pay off all his employees and give them severance before shutting down. We sold the house I grew up in, the house he literally built with his company (it was a house building company), and our family went through a few years of financial hardship before rebounding into the upper-middle class.

6. [removed]

7. My boyfriend gets pissed off at my dad anytime I tell him anything bout growing up. He straight up hates my dad on my behalf.

   It put a lot of stuff into perspective for me and I’m so cool with letting him rage for me cause I am just too worn out from my dad’s bullshit to hold my dad responsible.

8. One of my male friends paid tickets to go to fright night halloween in an amusement park as a birthday gift. I always wanted to go there. It was the best time i had in my life. That really made me so fricking happy

9. A guy at a bar saw I was depressed after a break-up and halved the bill. It was two drinks and 4 hours of time on the local console. I’ll never forget. Extra tips to that guy.

10. Be my professional mentor.

11. My dad drove me to London because my train was cancelled and I was stranded. That’s a two and a half hour journey there and back.

12. I’d been struggling for an hour to dig my car out of the snow that had frozen overnight with my little snow shovel. I was almost there but couldn’t clear the last frozen block of snow. A male classmate said hi and made a comment about the snow as he passed me in the parking lot. I didn’t think much of it and got in my car to see if I cleared enough to get out. I didn’t. I was sweating, tired, running late for work, and just started sobbing. When I looked up I saw him walking toward me with his giant shovel and the light of the sunrise behind him. He helped dig me out and I am forever grateful for his help that day.

13. I was about 12-13 and I was crying at the bus stop after having a fight with my mom that morning before school. An older guy in a car saw me and did a whole U-turn to ask me if I was okay, if I was lost, if I needed help, etc. Through tears I had to explain to him that I was fine, that the bus was coming in like 5 minutes, and that I was upset about an argument with my mom. He stayed with me until the bus came and basically tried to console me saying that he used to fight with his parents a lot but they always made up in the end. It was really kind of him and I still think about it 10 years later.

14. My grandfather raised my grandmas 4 boys that weren’t his biological kids just as they were is own. He went on to have 3 of his own girls with my grandma. My mom was a single mom and he took on the responsibility of helping raise me and my sister.

    He also did more than his fair share of chores around the house even tho he worked and my grandma stayed home.

    I’m on a lot of parenting subs and more and more its seeming like my grandfather was a real unicorn.

15. One of my best friends surprised me with some new impala skates. It was the best gift I’ve ever gotten that was a surprise.

16. Brian. A bus driver. Helped me everytime he saw me. He will never know the impact he had on me. I am eternally grateful for his kindness. I was going through the worse time of my life at that time.

17. There’s some others I’m blanking on but this was a few years ago.

    I was recovering from illnesses and was going through heavy withdrawals from my medication. I felt like fucking death but I kept trying. I’m big on art and it was the one thing that help me stay grounded.

    One day was particularly hard that I spent it in bed. At night, I got a call from my older cousin to go outside. He’s about 13 years older than me. I went outside and this man had bought me A FUCKTON of paint, brushes, a wheeling cart for storage, stacks of canvases, etc. My jaw dropped and I was just wondering how he knew to do this on the day I was having a really rough time. I don’t share my hardships so I was just looking like a fish out of water. I was shocked and grateful and trying not to cry.

    He looked at me , hugged me, and said you deserve it. Somehow he knew. He doesn’t need to say much to express his intentions or his respect. That day is ingrained in my head.

18. I was on a business trip travelling alone to the US and my flights got delayed so i reached my hotel later than expected. The lady at the reception desk then told me that someone had called multiple times, asking if i already checked in. Turns out it was my coworker/quasi boss in the US just making sure i got there safe and in one piece. We werent particularly close but at that time, i really appreciate the thought and concern. I was also young and innocent then so i felt being cared for.

19. One day I was driving, massively pregnant, in a horrible downpour and my windshield wiper just flew off. I dragged my 4 year old into the nearest auto parts store and grabbed a new one. The cashier insisted that we sit inside, gave my kid a candy bar and went out into the storm to put my new wiper on for me. He said he would have been angry if someone didn’t help his pregnant daughter, so there was no way I was leaving and doing it myself. It was very sweet.