"Do you like doing things for people？"I asked a friend．"Yes，most of the time，"she replied．"Most of the time？""Well，I love to do things that are unexpected．I like to do little things most people wouldn't think about doing，"she said．"But why did you say most of the time？""Well，sometimes after doing those little things people take advantage of you．I mean，they expect you to do it again．They ask you to do it．That's when I don't like it．"

It was odd that I had this conversation．This just happened to me．I love to do little things．I will pay for a meal card for the people in the office every time we have a meeting there．Not a big thing．It's a little thing.$5.30will pay for almost five lunches．Hey，big spender!

I also bought a bag of animal crackers for a friend at work．She was having a tough day and not very happy at all．I drove down to the Wal-Mart and picked up a huge bag for under 2.00．Her smile was worth it．But one week she said，"Bob，we ran out of crackers．We love them so much．"I didn't want to do it．I smiled and she persisted．I finally admitted，"It's different when I do it because I want to，but now you are trying to make me go to get them．It's not the same．"But I bought it for her．

Unfortunately，a big fire in my family took away all the possessions we had．I don't know what to do and how to do it．What happened to me then surprised me most．I once had my bikes repaired，but the repairman said"no charge"on hearing my sufferings．A stranger called James Kennedy read some pieces I'd written about our sufferings for Slate，the online magazine，and wanted to give us a new house across the lake from New Orleans．I refused but I felt moved．Another poet at the University of Florida also wanted to let his house to me free of charge while he was on holiday．My mates gave us more money for us to rebuild my home．

When you do something kind for others，do you alwa