Random Acts of Kindness

The other day as I was driving home, down my very own street, in my very own neighborhood, minding my own business, a boy (12’ish) standing on the side of the road - with a friend - flipped me off. Yes, he did - for no apparent reason except the fact that he could. I well imagine them having a good laugh about it and feeling like “grown ups.” This, of course, got me thinking about the state of our world today and the parents raising this young man to think that something to that affect was okay. I would normally defend the parents saying it wasn’t their fault BUT -- have you observed how rude our world has become in - at least - the last decade?

I could get carried away at this point with how people think it is okay to cut loose on someone “oh say” on Twitter, Facebook and forums. I suppose being anonymous lends itself to more than freedom of speech -- but okay, this isn’t what this blog is about -- but this, along with the child flipping me off -- started my brain thinking!

I truly wish everyone would deploy doing a random act of kindness at least once a day. Not to “toot” my own horn, but I try to practice this (sometimes it doesn’t happen - daily, but when it does you can see it on the recipient’s face -- and I get a warm and fuzzy feeling!) It doesn’t have to be anything more than some small unexpected thing (which is also sad, because some of these small unexpected things ... used to be ... the normal):

• Open the door for someone with a smile on your face and in your eyes. 
• Say Good morning, good evening or simply have a great day. 
• Offer someone your seat (and not just an elderly person). 
• Leave a larger tip every once in a while. 
• Compliment a fellow person on the shirt/blouse/shoes they have on. 
• Have bunches of stuff in a store line - let someone go in front of you. 
• Have not a bunches of stuff in a store line - let someone go in front of you.

I think you get the drift, the “act” doesn’t have to be big, just nice! One day, here in dry West Texas, I wound up with two umbrellas at the office -- fodder for another blog -- as we all dove out the door at 5:00, I was by a young lady (I didn’t know) and we hit the overhang and it had started pouring down rain. She said: “Nooooo, I left my umbrella in my car at lunch.” So, actually without thinking, I handed her my extra umbrella. She asked if I was sure, as I pulled the second umbrella out and I said “Yeppers, see.” She asked me where I worked so she could return it and I told her not to worry about it .. as umbrellas go, it wasn’t an expensive one. She thanked me and we both dove into the rain.

  

A random act of kindness done for “us” - a week after Neal came home from the hospital, the yard was going out-of-control and my girlfriend gave me the name of a friend :-) that did yard work and I arranged for the yard to be done. I think this was our first “yard” act of kindness because I swear if that is all he charges that - really - for yard work -- he will go broke! So, anyway the really random act was about 1 month later, as I was just fixing to call this fellow again (because Neal and I had just spoken about the yard needing to be done again) and Neal called me from the house and asked “Did you call that fella about the yard.” ummmm “Not yet” *pause* “Well there is someone doing our yard.” Come to find out our neighbor had hired his guy not only to do his yard, but ours too! He did this one other time and then Neal got to feeling up to doing a bit himself (it still takes him like a week to do the front and back .. but he’s coming along!)

I say we need to all practice our “PSR” (Personal Social Responsibility) or simply put: be kind to your fellow man and maybe more 12’ish year old children won’t think it is okay to flip someone off that is simply driving down the street.