Snapshots by Barbara Boyd - Thoughtless Good Intentions

1913

Snapshots by Barbara Boyd
Thoughtless Good Intentions

Do not think the good intentions that pave the lower region are any worse than the good intentions which are put into execution, but which have no thought back of them," said the clubwoman.

"They are not half so bad," replied her friend, "for they don't worry anybody or do any damage. They never really live, and so, not having life, they can do neither good or ill. But good intentions that are full of life, and on their job, often work quite as much harm as good."

"That's what I think," responded the clubwoman. "They are often what I call thoughtless good intentions. With the very best of intentions, a person will rush to do something for you without even stopping to think whether you may want that thing done or not; and so precipitate upon your defenseless head an avalanche of trouble and annoyance.

"I got to thinking about this," went on the clubwoman, "because of something Mrs. Smith, a neighbor of mine, did the other day. I wasn't feeling very well, and I thought if I could lie down undisturbed and get a little sleep, I would be all right. The only one likely to come was the ice boy; so I hung out a little sign telling him what I wanted, and then went upstairs and crawled into bed. I was just dozing off, when the bell rang so furiously, and kept on ringing so persistently, that I thought the house must be on fire, or there was a dire telegram, or my husband had been run over by an auto, and I scrambled out and ran down. And who do you think it was?"

"Give it up," said her friend.

"This same Mrs. Smith, to ask me excitedly if I knew there was a sign pinned to the porch post. She said she was going by and saw it fluttering there, and thought maybe I didn't know it and ought to be told. Honestly, I could have choked her with right good will. I don't wonder murders are committed. I felt like asking her didn't she suppose I had eyes in my head, and would I be likely to hang up a sign and not know it was there, and a few more pointed questions like that. But being a supposedly civilized being, I only smiled feebly and said, 'Yes, I knew it was there as I had put it there myself,' whereat she apologized, and said she thought maybe it might be something I would like to know about. You see her intention was all right, but there was no thought back of it."

"There are plenty of such people," agreed her friend. "It's my private opinion that good intentions are a sort of cloak that lots of people use, to throw over thoughtlessness and selfishness and various others of the cardinal sins. The person who effervesces with good intentions, I avoid as I would the plague."

—The Newark Advocate, Newark, Ohio, April 8, 1913, page 5.