Do you have good intentions you never fulfil?
By Fleur
@Fleura (29129)
United Kingdom
November 21, 2017 6:48am CST
Almost every time I go to the supermarket, as I’m leaving I pass a box for collecting donations to a local food bank (or sometimes, depending on the shop, to a local animal shelter). Now that I’m fortunate enough that I could spare a pound or two extra on each shop to do this, I think to myself ‘Oh yes I must get something next time’ because of course I can’t lug my trolley-load of shopping back round the store just to get a couple of extra cans or packets of something.
But since my memory for things like this is useless, and the collection box is always placed after the checkout tills (of course) and on the way to the exit, I always forget the next time, until I have completed my shopping and then I see the box on the way out – again. Doh!
This has happened so many times now that I find myself thinking of it even when I’m not shopping (like now), and yet as soon as I get to the supermarket, usually in a rush and consulting my list, it completely slips my mind.
Is there anything you mean to do but then never manage to get around to?
And guess what – just writing this has given me the simple idea that I can go and write ‘something for food bank’ on the shopping list and then next time I will actually do it!
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2017.
16 people like this
17 responses
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
21 Nov 17
When we are in a rush it often happens that we forget, even when we want to do something.
3 people like this
@m_audrey6788 (58485)
• Germany
21 Nov 17
There are a lot of clothes donating boxes around here and we sometimes put something there 
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
22 Nov 17
No I have no good intentions thankfully, so no need for me to feel guilty
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 17
My problem is that I never carry cash or loose coins so I never have anything available to give. I really like those stores that ask you at the checkout register if you would like to add a donation to your total. I always say yes, because then it just adds the donation to my total bill, and then I pay for it all with my credit or debit card. Or, I like those places that ask you to round up your total to the next highest whole dollar amount, with the difference going to charity.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118442)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 17
@Fleura I wish more stores would set up their cash registers to receive donations that way. I think more people would be apt to give if they could just add the donation to their total bill.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
21 Nov 17
Sometimes the simple solutions are the best!!
Although I suspect, if I were responsible for our household shopping, I would do exactly as you have been doing.
And to answer your question, yes, there are loads of things I mean to do but never get around to. One day I might get round to finishing the two novels I started writing. It just seems that these days whenever I get any time I never have the get up and go!!
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
21 Nov 17
@Fleura One is a very dark comic novel set in a near-future UK. I think it can best be described as a cross between Tom Sharpe and Franz Kafka.
The other deals with the inner workings of the mind of a family man approaching middle age. I quite like the concept of this one as it is written in such a way that you never know what the main character is saying in response to other people. You get to see what he is thinking and what he would like to say but then have to gauge what he actually said by the response of the other person. It's actually quite sad but the intention is for there to be plenty of laughs along the way too.
I should really be spurred on by the fact that one of my friends (who is also an old writing partner with whom I've written a novel, a screenplay and a sit-com) has just self-published a novel on Amazon. I actually get a mention in the foreword as I acted as a sounding board for ideas and as an editor, along with his daughters.
I just need to stop feeling so tired when I get an hour to myself!!!
2 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
21 Nov 17
I could have written this post!! Funny story, but I have to get off the bus so it'll have to wait!
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29129)
• United Kingdom
22 Nov 17
@Poppylicious Oh no! Oh dear that's just the sort of mistake I can imagine my Mum making, how embarrassing. Surely someone must have explained otherwise if she picked things out then took them back through the checkout she'd have to pay for them again (full price of course) so not only would the food bank lose out but she'd lose out on her 'clearance' items as well, and the person who originally contributed them would only have benefited Tesco because they got to sell the same item twice! What confusion!
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
22 Nov 17
@Fleura Oh, forgot about this! As we were leaving Tesco one day two women walked in. One of them strode ahead but the other called after her, Hold on! Let's check the clearance section first! and she then proceeded to rummage through the Food Bank donations! It made us chortle lots. I just hope somebody pointed out to her the error of her ways.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Nov 17
We collect food at church so it is easier for me to remember though I did forget for Thanksgiving. We collect tuna all year for the food pantry.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (34365)
•
21 Nov 17
There are always things I have to do that I never get around to in a timely manner. Donating clothes to goodwill is one of them.
1 person likes this
