Kindness will never be replaced by AI because people need people

By Breda Nathan

Growing old is not for sissies…I remember my Mam saying this as she aged.

I believed it was something she said, but I’ve since heard other people saying it and now, I understand as it applies to me.

I agree totally. In the last weeks I have been upset and depressed over things I can no longer do easily.

But I also discovered kindness. I can only hope that in times past, I was helpful and kind in some ways to others.

I’m no longer driving, because of sight problems and am on eye drops.

I picked up my prescription and came home from the shopping trip to discover I had forgotten the important one.

There was no one here to drive me back up and I was concerned at missing the important one.

I decided to ring the pharmacy and ask them to hold one for me, but immediately the Pharmacist Mr. Flanagan came on line and told me he would bring it down to my house and not to worry.

I am a new customer and never met the man before. I couldn’t believe his kindness. Within 15 minutes he was at my door.

Leaving a very busy chemist shop in Tesco. (Thank you, Mr. Flanagan) I will never forget your help.

Later in the same week, I got news that an old neighbour of mine had had lost a sister and as she has left estate I could ring her, but had difficulty getting a mass card to her as she is in hospital care herself.

I met James and Carmel in the shops and was moaning about not being able to deliver my card, when James told me not to worry, he was going to see Maura and would take it to her.

Next day he came to my house and collected the card and within hours I had a lovely call from Maura.

Thanking me for the card. Another act of kindness, he is so good. (Thank you James.)

We live in a terrible world of wars and murders and starving children.

It’s so good to know there are still kind and helpful people around us.

They may never have presidential or prime titles, but if they were organising and managing world politics things would be so different.

There is way to understand the behaviour of people in power who sit eating dinners and see television pictures of bombed apaptment blocks, starving children looking at food carriers being burned and further threats coming every day.

Who voted these monsters in? I know Russians don’t have an option but Americans must be sleeping.

We should thank our lucky stars for our government. We may complain and moan or disagree with the comments, but we are free to make them and free to vote for change.

The coalition works well because the leaders are sane and sensible whether it may or may not suit us at the time.

I can only hope that I have shown kindness to people at times they needed it. From now on I will be aware of reaching out when I can.

Talking to someone recently about Bank Holidays, I was thinking we could have a ‘Kindness Day’ in June or August, when this could be celebrated or better still, practised.

I know I have a very close family I can call on, we talk every day, but there is always a time when something happens at an awkward time or place for someone, and we can step in and lend a hand.

AI does not do kindness and very often a few kind words or a small helping hand, can mean so much to anyone.

This week I learned that the spoken word person to person, means so much more than the mad smart phones and emails we have embraced.

Let us get back to chatting over a cup of tea or even a pint, depending on where we are.

Leave AI to those cowardly masters of war. There are enough of us left to take a stand.