Random phone call, now an old man I met is a dead guy 🙁

[Doc]

TL;DR: I offer to help an old man. He dies. His daughter reached out and it was uncomfortable.


Well shit. What a f***ed up thread to start.

The other day I get a call from my mechanic. An elderly man needed some help. He didn’t have the cash to pay for a ceiling fan install. My mechanic is his mechanic and knows me well enough to ask for a “personal favor.” He asks me “hey man, I’ve got this older customer, he needs a ceiling fan install, but he’s got no money” okay no problem, let’s see if I can help out the old guy.

I go to his house and end up staying 4 hours just listening to him tell me all kinds of old man stories. The whole time his dog is going apeshit crazy. Old man tells me “no one has been here for months.”

Old guy’s wife died last year (non-covid) and he’s got no one to talk to. He was SHARP, a historian, cowboy, archeologist as well. We ended on the following deal: I put in a new ceiling fan and in exchange for that, he saves me a place in line at the gates to Heaven. We shake, it’s a deal. He can spend a little more on a nicer fan since there is no install cost.

I get a call last Sunday he’s ready but I’ve got church. I call him back, leave VM.

A week passes. I figure he went to visit family for Easter.


Yesterday his daughter calls me. Tells me the old man passed. Aneurysm. They found him sitting in his backyard (he likes to feed the birds, prob his only interaction besides the doggie) legs crossed at ankles, hands folded in his lap, chin on his chest. I hope he went peacefully.


It was a pretty wild call. His daughter may have been in shock, I’ve never lost a parent. She told me, “a friend installed the ceiling fan, can you come over and fix the sink and dishwasher…….for free?” I politely declined. She insisted that I needed to do it so she could sell the house. I asked how much was left on the mortgage, she tells me “nothing.”

I hate feeling like this. Her old man dad never mentioned her, only his son. My convo w her really rubbed me the wrong way.

I love helping people who I connect with and feel positive towards. The old man was one of those types. Asked for NOTHING and was so happy when I told him I’d do the job for Free99. Daughter on the other hand was flexing her unjustified entitlement and I’m not about that.

I really thought that old man would become a weekly visit for me. If anyone knows me they know I have a LOT on my plate but I was looking forward to weekly history lessons, cowboy talk, etc.

My grandpa passed a few years ago. This old man would never replace him, but I felt a real wonderful energy from him.

I’m glad he’s reunited with God and his beautiful bride. I’m sadden for the loss of the old man. I asked to be invited to the services, daughter couldn’t get past the sink/dishwasher. I don’t want to bash on her, I knew that old man 4 hours, she was his daughter.

I can’t imagine what his family is dealing with. I just needed to vent this out. I don’t like this feeling.

I hope he saves me a place in line.

Rant/

 

[Lobo2087]

You can only do what's in your heart.

The old man, I am sure it did him wonders to have you talk to.

The daughter sounds like another story.

 

[Doc]

You can only do what's in your heart.

The old man, I am sure it did him wonders to have you talk to.

The daughter sounds like another story.

It really helps to hear someone else feel
Similar. Thanks Lobo

 

[Drmark]

As a kid, I loved sitting around the campfire listening to my grandfather's stories. Brilliant man!

Doc, like yourself, there is a ton of knowledge out there in those with more Earthly experience. I love, love the stories!

Could the daughter be the reason for the anyrysm? Just kidding!

 

[Suck My Glock]

You have no obligation to her. Sounds like the old man was worth being kind to and deserving of compassion and charity. Her,...not so much. The sale of the house will easily cover any expenses they incur getting it ready to sell. And in fact, in this market, they could do absolutely nothing to it and it would sell next week.

 

[Doc]

As a kid, I loved sitting around the campfire listening to my grandfather's stories. Brilliant man!

Doc, like yourself, there is a ton of knowledge out there in those with more Earthly experience. I love, love the stories!

Could the daughter be the reason for the anyrysm? Just kidding!

Yeah he was a real wealth of knowledge. The old man was schooling me on Native American history and I let out a “dumb kid comment” and proclaimed “I know why the White Mtns went to the Apache” he was shocked! Some kid is going to tell ME why?!? (I say kid because he was grandpa old so my parents would be kids in his eyes) he asked me all kinds of questions…..oh because this fact, that fact, this little known fact all these FACTS. the old man knew his stuff, I might have been taught his work or watched it on PBS.

That said I knew I had him in my trap; I simply said “no sir, none of that is why, it’s because they fought hardest.

He turned his head and gave it a moment. Most have buzzed through a BAZILLION facts and smiled and said “I believe that to be true.” Then he lowered his voice and said “do you know there were multiple tribes of Apache? And went to town telling me stories. Then showed me pictures on his walls. Not staged family photos. His wife and her horse, him in the background, etc.

I feel lucky to have spent the 4hrs I got. Man, he was a cool guy.

Even told me about his wife buying him a pistola from the Sears catalog and it was mailed to his house. For like $4 and a promise to not kill anything unless it REALLY needed some killing.

 

[Doc]

You have no obligation to her. Sounds like the old man was worth being kind to and deserving of compassion and charity. Her,...not so much. The sale of the house will easily cover any expenses they incur getting it ready to sell. And in fact, in this market, they could do absolutely nothing to it and it would sell next week.

I agree.

The more I think about it, she’s probably not thinking clearly and I hope she takes her time to sort it out.

It’s a really nice 3b/2b, 2002 build. He was one of those cowboy types that had his things but left the walls and everything well enough alone. Prob never had a kid inside for more than a week. And maybe not at all. Dog was little. Old dog. Knew the rules. Just him. Tidy place. Didn’t even have the “old people” smell. Books. Lots of books but it seemed he kept the arcadia door open and got a nice breeze. Prob used that ceiling fan a lot. Didn’t have any library stink.

I think she could easily get $400k based off my buddies sale of $417 a few months ago. Heck. Maybe more

I hope to leave my kids property. That old man checked a lot of boxes.

 

[rockbronco]

great story! you both benefited from a simple 4hrs of conversation it will leave a mark on you and Im sure it did the old man too. People like that you do not mind lending a helping hand for free but people like his daughter are who ruin it for others. People that expect to get handed a favor is why I am very selective to who I help. I like to help and give back to others but the moment I feel that they expect it to happen Im done.

 

[Doc]

great story! you both benefited from a simple 4hrs of conversation it will leave a mark on you and Im sure it did the old man too. People like that you do not mind lending a helping hand for free but people like his daughter are who ruin it for others. People that expect to get handed a favor is why I am very selective to who I help. I like to help and give back to others but the moment I feel that they expect it to happen Im done.

You 100% nailed it.

I hope he saves me a place in line.

 

[knockonit]

after me pops passed in 85 i took on two of his ole marine buddies who first lived in sin city, then to a home, spit and polish mud marines, baby, the met on iwo jima, left overs of different battalions that were decimated, they ended up in same new re organized battalions till end of war, and two of them were in korea to gether,
fricken amazing men, they loved living in the ''meat locker'' nursing home, i'd grab'm once a month and take'm to the candy store, gift the gals a hundy a piece to givem' the special, ornery old jarheads, nurseing staff always told me no more than three drinks, try telling 88 year old marines they can't have more liquor, fun times,
was saddened when they passed, shared stories bout the ole man i'd never known without them, ole man was a lt. col retired marine, one of chestys boys, anyhows, that generation is and had amazing history and stories, too bad we didn't think to film more of them on their "'tell''
great story, i always take time to chat with the old guys, hell i',m close to it anyway, to be labeled old, but don't feel that way
Rj living the dream

 

[xerts1911]

No coincidence, you and that old man met for a reason, reason is yet to be discovered?

 

[knockonit]

yeah, u be special, not many would have taken the time
Rj

 

[Doc]

No coincidence, you and that old man met for a reason, reason is yet to be discovered?

Maybe.

I hope I passed the test.

 

[Rock Hardson]

Two types of people in this world. Givers and takers. They soon will show which one they are.

Doc, you sir, are a giver. And her, well, she is a taker.

We need more people like Doc in this world, as the takers far out number the givers.

 

[What]

TL;DR: I offer to help an old man. He dies. His daughter reached out and it was uncomfortable.


Well shit. What a f***ed up thread to start.

The other day I get a call from my mechanic. An elderly man needed some help. He didn’t have the cash to pay for a ceiling fan install. My mechanic is his mechanic and knows me well enough to ask for a “personal favor.” He asks me “hey man, I’ve got this older customer, he needs a ceiling fan install, but he’s got no money” okay no problem, let’s see if I can help out the old guy.

I go to his house and end up staying 4 hours just listening to him tell me all kinds of old man stories. The whole time his dog is going apeshit crazy. Old man tells me “no one has been here for months.”

Old guy’s wife died last year (non-covid) and he’s got no one to talk to. He was SHARP, a historian, cowboy, archeologist as well. We ended on the following deal: I put in a new ceiling fan and in exchange for that, he saves me a place in line at the gates to Heaven. We shake, it’s a deal. He can spend a little more on a nicer fan since there is no install cost.

I get a call last Sunday he’s ready but I’ve got church. I call him back, leave VM.

A week passes. I figure he went to visit family for Easter.


Yesterday his daughter calls me. Tells me the old man passed. Aneurysm. They found him sitting in his backyard (he likes to feed the birds, prob his only interaction besides the doggie) legs crossed at ankles, hands folded in his lap, chin on his chest. I hope he went peacefully.


It was a pretty wild call. His daughter may have been in shock, I’ve never lost a parent. She told me, “a friend installed the ceiling fan, can you come over and fix the sink and dishwasher…….for free?” I politely declined. She insisted that I needed to do it so she could sell the house. I asked how much was left on the mortgage, she tells me “nothing.”

I hate feeling like this. Her old man dad never mentioned her, only his son. My convo w her really rubbed me the wrong way.

I love helping people who I connect with and feel positive towards. The old man was one of those types. Asked for NOTHING and was so happy when I told him I’d do the job for Free99. Daughter on the other hand was flexing her unjustified entitlement and I’m not about that.

I really thought that old man would become a weekly visit for me. If anyone knows me they know I have a LOT on my plate but I was looking forward to weekly history lessons, cowboy talk, etc.

My grandpa passed a few years ago. This old man would never replace him, but I felt a real wonderful energy from him.

I’m glad he’s reunited with God and his beautiful bride. I’m sadden for the loss of the old man. I asked to be invited to the services, daughter couldn’t get past the sink/dishwasher. I don’t want to bash on her, I knew that old man 4 hours, she was his daughter.

I can’t imagine what his family is dealing with. I just needed to vent this out. I don’t like this feeling.

I hope he saves me a place in line.

Rant/

Others has word it perfectly.

I wouldnt done anything different in your position.

Dont let it dwell heavy on your heart. It's getting too warm not to have a working fan.

Had his daughter spent more time. It would lead up to different path than what happened.

 

[Az desert rat 1]

Doc, you did right by the old gentleman. As for the daughter, don't lose any sleep over her.

 

[Doc]

No good deed goes unpunished.

Now dead guys daughter is calling and texting telling me how she NEEDS a garbage disposal and medicine cabinet replaced…..because the property is under contract to sell.




Some people’s kids.


Rant/

 

[Jack Dupp]

There's a ton of handymen on craigslist. Done.

 

[Doc]

There's a ton of handymen on craigslist. Done.

Yep. At this point I’m blocking her number.

 

[pneuby]

Good on you, Doc. What a poignant post. I tried to chat-up the old-duffers when I can because they have life-experience I cannot touch.