But I do what I do NOT for payments or dividends, etc, I do it because I see it as being the Right, the Good and Decent thing to do.

@Triphid The dividends are Love, Care, and Kindness. Accept your good fortune as they are priceless.

I know but I'd much prefer to see passed forward though.

@Triphid You did. You just didn't realize you were next in line.

@Triphid What you did made them into the people they are today who are more likely to help someone else (pay it forward) but who also want to help you.

@Budgie This I understand but for the majority of my life I've just about stood alone when troubles come a-calling or things screw up.
I guess this "old dog" has a new trick to learn and live now.

@Betty But my mind does NOT work that way, it works on an idea of " Give what you can to those who need he most and think of yourself later. much later.""

@Triphid They recognized that you still have much to give, so your health and wellbeing is of great importance to them and to the ones you have yet to help.

My Mom taught me that you have to take care of number 1 so number 1 can take care of the rest. In this instance they are showing you that you are number 1 in their books and ensuring you will be there for them. You are a good man and role model and they need you.

Hey I do what I do because when I needed it there almost no-one/nothing around.
I swore an oath ( Atheist style that is) that I would do my bloody darnedest to change that situation.

@Triphid It's working. It's your methods and motives that need to be taught and passed on.

@Betty Yes and where once there WAS just me and 2 good friends who provided me any necessary transport at even the oddest of hours, the little "group" has "expanded" in the last, almost 19 months now to having 6 Certified Volunteer Counsellors on hand and working a Roster System, 2 on-call volunteer vehicles with 4 volunteer drivers and the biggest surprise of ALL, Government Funding which includes Exemptions from ALL Taxes, vehicle up-keep, fuel costs and insurances, etc, and went each vehicle reached the 300,000 kilometre Working Life Limit it gets REPLACED by the Government, FREE of Charge within 2 months.
The Funding from the Government is a kind of PRIVATE thing because IF the similar Church Operated Services were to discover it then, to quote our sponsor in the Government who moved for it and got it awarded to us on a 99 years basis, "They'd come down like a plague of Locusts crying POVERTY and Persecution until the cows came home, I want THIS Community Service to stay EXACTLY as it, FREE to ALL in need, no matter the Creed, Colour, etc, for as long as possible WITHOUT the Interferences and the interferences and meddling of Religion, Politics, etc, etc, this service grew from Love, Care and Kindness, rare commodities in this day and age, it DESERVES to Live, Thrive and spread across the world."

@Triphid You have much to be proud of. The people you work with and for, have a great leader and mentor. As for love, care, and kindness being rare...I don't think so. I believe with people like you and your group it is being re-awaken as demonstrated by your story. Proud of you and for you.

@Betty Ow, please do NOT call me anything resembling their leader, etc.
That is something I have always tried to avoid being and always will avoid being.

@Triphid Okay. You may have a different definition of the word than I do. I respect your choice and I am sorry that it offended you, it truly was not my intention.

@Betty No probs my friend, no probs, it is just out this way we've had so many "wannabe Leaders" who wanted to lead us but would be hard pressed finding their own arse with BOTH hands, and I have worked amongst more than my fair share of them btw, that I prefer to be the one who listens and then gets them to discuss any/all ideas, etc, that have comes across their mind instead.

@Triphid It makes me sad that the honor of "Leader/Leadership" has been corrupted. I was taught that a "Leader" imparts their experience, knowledge, and wisdom with the intention to guide through thoughtful care and kindness. When I assigned that (word that must be avoided) to you, I meant it as a compliment of your accomplishments. I'll try to remember not to use it again.

@Betty Please use it again and never let being nice or complimentary to another become extinct,
i have my little quirks regarding things such being praised etc, so try not to mind me and my somewhat "odd quirks and ways" please.

@Triphid If I read that right, I think you just called me nice. Thank you for the compliment, you are too sweet. As long as you continue to share your wisdom with others, you can be sure that the possibility of extinction has been put off for the foreseeable future.
I am amazed at how a word or phrase can mean one thing to a person and something quite different to another. Language can be a tricky thing these days.

Hey, ALL I do is to TRY and do the best I can.

@Triphid Yes, all you can do.

My husband had a massive heart attack, in 1988, a stroke in 1993, & he lost his peripheral vision so had to give up his driving license. He has a few minor memory issues, but has done well for years. They think a piece of blood clot broke away in his heart, which traveled up to lodge in his brain.

@Lilac-JadeCanada That is distinct possibility unfortunately, sadly as we age so do our inner workings as well as the outer ones as well, give my best and kindest of regards to your "other half " please.

@Triphid Thank you. He's 77 now, & has cheated death many times.

@Lilac-JadeCanada Perhaps we, him and I, should make our club then.
According to my medical records, at 7 months old I SHOULD have died from a very severe bout of pneumonia, against 12 months later it tried again and kept trying until was around 8 years old, then, as every boy did back in those days, I rode my home-made billy-car down the steepest hill available, went at full speed UNDER a truck and has 3 ribs crushed BUT still survived.
Move on a few more years, I walked around for almost a week with my infected appendix leaking in to my abdomen before collapsing in agony, my Dad was told by the Surgeon that, " If this lad survives the Operation and lives through the night it will be 100%, 24 carat miracle.
According to the Doctor on duty I asked for breakfast at about 7.00 am the next morning with a grin on my face.
After that things got a wee bit "easier" but that is another story for later.

@Triphid Wow. Stubborn stuff. My husband says he's too grouchy to die.
I only had whooping cough, scarlet fever, ruptured appendix, & cancer, among many other lesser ailments.

@Lilac-JadeCanada Then you are nominated to join the Group known as We told Death to Piss off and come back WHEN we call you."
Welcome Aboard friend and colleague.

@Triphid Yes, I'm coming up to 17 years post cancer.

@Triphid You're a fighter, mind and body. Lucky too.

@Betty Maybe, but as my Dad once said when I was near death from a ruptured Appendix and a HUGE infection caused by, "He's like me, too STUBBORN to just lay down and die, he'd argue the Toss with the Devil and still come out a winner."
That was, according my Dad, approx. 3 months before my 12th. Birthday and the Doctors were trying to prepare him for the worst.

@Triphid Sounds like your Dad loves you immensely. He must have been scared to death and very much relieved when you got better. I would wager that many people today would say they are better off for knowing you if your story is anything to go by, and your Dad must be so proud.

@Betty Dad was of the "old school" born 1905, shows of affection, especially around others were a rarity but then they happened they were unmistakable.
Sadly he died in January, 2004 from suffering a massive CVA.

@Triphid My Mom was born in 1915 and was also "old school" in what she believed was right. She was also very open-minded and caring as well as being practical in her every day life. I lost her in 2011, she died peacefully in her sleep. I miss her every day as I believe you miss your Dad.

@Betty You bet I miss we had great times together fishing trips and out catch rabbits, etc.

@Triphid Rabbits...You mean those soft, furry, cute, carrot eating "What's Up Doc" creatures?

@Betty Yes those pests that early English Settlers from Noble (???) families brought over here to " give themselves that little extra taste of Old Mother England" let loose in a land that, until then, 100% free of such fast breeding vermin and within approx.20 years were at almost plague proportions, destroying native habitats, vegetations by the hundreds of acres, causing great swathes of soil erosion and destruction of native plant species, etc, etc, yes those little creatures.

@Triphid I hope you had better luck than Elmer Fudd. Destructive but still cute.