Are You a Helper?

My son gets impatient with me because he says I am always helping people.  I laugh at him and ask him what am supposed to do just walk away? He says "yes, you already have too much to do".   I feel bad that he thinks that way.  He was always taught not to talk to strangers as a child, and I guess it mostly stayed with him. I wasn't taught that and had a Mom that talked to everyone and a Dad who helped everyone.  So maybe that's the difference?

I never really gave much thought to whether I considered myself a helper or not.  It came up fairly recently when we were running late for an appointment and I needed something from CVS.  As I was rushing in a lady stopped me to ask me if I knew how to use the Red Box, to return a movie. I actually do, so I stopped and helped her.  When I got back I in the car, my son asked me why I took the time to help that lady, when I was already running late.  I told him that I wouldn't dream of saying, "sorry figure it out, I am in a hurry."   We got on that subject while driving and he pointed out several occasions that he witnessed me "helping" and tried to convince me that sometimes me "helping" someone can be dangerous.  I agreed with his point, but didn't change the way I feel.  I pointed out that he too sometimes helps people, for example if someone can't reach something at the grocery store, he helps them.  He also holds the door open all the time for people, a few times I was like okay, that's enough, we have to go.  So I don't think he's as self serving as he wants me to believe he is.  The conversation continued and my final answer was, "I guess I am just a helper."

LOL, I started writing this blog while waiting at the Dr's office, and got interrupted by my appointment, ended up at Starbucks getting a latte and paying with my Starbucks app on my phone and a young man questioned me about using Passbook instead of the app, and why it is better.  I explained I didn't use my passbook app, because I didn't know how and he ended up helping me to do that and we chatted for a while while drinking our coffee.  My plan was to sit there and write my blog while having my coffee, before moving on to the next stop, but I ended up talking to him until I had to go.  I thought it was really ironic that the subject that came to mind was helping people and someone ended up helping me today. 

My propensity to help people doesn't always carry over to my professional life.  I have been doing property management long enough to have heard pretty much every sob story.  I can't recommend that my owner rents his property to someone who does not qualify, and that would be a risky person to rent to, just because I feel sorry for them.  In my line of business, I have had to evict families with children.  There was one really horrible situation.  They ignored the 24 hour notice from the sheriff, and had their crying children helping moving their stuff out while  myself, the sheriff and the neighbors stood by watching.  Before you start thinking I am a horrible person, the reality is that I work for the owner. It is my job to help him get the most from his investment.  That being said, I offered that particular family multiple options to avoid eviction.  They choose to not communicate with me and left me with no option but to start the process.  I had no prior experience with this family, I didn't rent the property to them.  I took over the management after they were already there and hadn't been paying for a while. 

I will never forget that day and those children but the reality is, if the parents would have communicated with me, it could have gone differently and I may have been able to help them to avoid that experience.  There have been numerous other situations that didn't turn out as badly, when the tenants stopped paying rent.  There are ways to do a good job for the owner, and still treat the tenants with compassion and respect.  I feel good about the balance I am usually able to create.  I am proud to say that I go above and beyond for my owners and even for my tenants at times.  I do a lot of things that the average property manager does not do.  I guess that just goes back to me just being a "helper."
This topic came to me this morning while waiting at the doctors office an elderly couple came in and right away a woman offered her seat(it was crowded) then the person who had sitting next to her offered his seat, and than that same lady opened the door for a woman in a wheel chair.  it all got me thinking about helping people. 

What about you? Are you a helper?