Oh, kindness. I think one huge kindness is not to listen to rumors and not to assume that they are correct. Whew. Though if you are ever the victim of a rumor, it will tell you who your real friends are. They will stay present, stay in touch, stay with you. Some will ask about it, others won’t, but they will stay. And you may be amazed by how many people disappear into the woodwork. They are staying “neutral”, they’ll say, but they don’t call, answer calls, or include you any more. Then they may show back up in the future. You will not trust them again. Ok, if they were going through some trauma of their own, but otherwise, no.
Sol Duc is keeping an eye on the neighborhood. She never tells me rumors, ever.
Here are three versions of Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out. I like the Bessie Smith one best. The John Lennon tune is different.
For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: kindness.
And another:
KO Rural Mad As Hell Blog 
I love Bessie Smith — yeah, during a very dark time of my life I learned a lot about friendship
Scrapper’s version took me right home to the Village.
Wow
Being kind costs nothing.
While I know the Bessie Smith version well, I’d never heard Lennon’s song. Simple and plaintive. And thanks for giving some exposure to Scrapper Blackwell.