Good Deeds
Recently, my air conditioner went on the fritz (never a good thing in the midst of a Florida summer!), and the air conditioner repairman who came out to check it out told me that it was unserviceable, and because it was such an old unit, I’d absolutely need to get an entirely new air handler and outside unit – to the tune of $3,200 (a price that was echoed, give or take $400, at every other place I called). Basically, the unit was still cooling my house just fine — the only problem was that water was backing up in the pan and wasn’t draining — so it was an awful thought to realize I’d have to spend that much money to entirely replace a functioning unit.
I was a little skeptical, because it seemed that the AC repair guy had his mind made up before he walked in my door; he was talking new units before he even opened up my old one to see what was wrong. So I posted a status update on Facebook, asking if anyone knew of a reliable AC repair person I could ask for a second opinion before I shelled out $3K.
One of the people who replied to me was an old friend from high school name Chris, who had gone into the AC business. I hadn’t seen him in 13 years, and he lives 90 minutes away. Yet he offered to come take a look at my unit for me the next time he was in Orlando. He couldn’t figure out the problem immediately, but he promised he’d think about it. And think he did; he returned yesterday, cut open one of the pipes and found that it had entirely calcified inside, which is why it wasn’t allowing any water through. It took him less than an hour to replace the PVC piping leading out of the unit. And fingers crossed, miraculously, the air conditioner appears to be working perfectly once again. The kindness of a friend seems to have literally saved me $3,000 or more.
The reason I’m telling you all this is because it made my heart absolutely swell in appreciation. There was nothing in it for Chris; it was difficult to persuade him to take even a little payment for his great work. He did this fully out of the goodness of his heart — for someone he hadn’t talked to in a decade — simply because he’s a good guy, and he knew I needed help.
His good deed has really inspired me. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all went a little out of our way to help people? Not only did Chris save my air conditioner — and my wallet — but he also helped remind me of the power of doing good. It’s a favor I won’t soon forget. And it makes me want to be a kinder, more generous person too.
If you have a good deed you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it. Let me know here, or post your good deed story on Be Good to People’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/begoodtopeople. It’s a great organization that recognizes good deeds — and they’re sending Chris a “Be Good to People” t-shirt to recognize his kindness.
Let’s all help make the world a better place. 
xo, Kristin
