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Despite what many of you may think, I am not all bad. Just because I don’t write about flowers, butterflies, and puppy dogs every week doesn’t mean that I don’t have my soft spots. It may be buried down deep but I believe that everyone has a soft squishy center. Sure, most of the time I am writing about the things that piss me off, but that is generally when something during that week has sparked me into attack mode.
Those sparks usually have a basis in stupidity, which for those of you who know me, I have a very low tolerance for. Nothing sends me into hyper drive quicker than dealing with stupid people. I know that many of them can’t help themselves, and that they should be pitied rather than crucified. It is really hard to be sympathetic when some people make no attempt to better their situations. “Stupid is as stupid does” as Forrest Gump’s mother said. But enough about those unfortunates, karma will take care of them eventually.
About a decade or so ago there was a movement, the origins of which I am not sure of, that had the individuals involved doing acts of random kindness. It was a marvelous idea and for its short-lived duration it was a bright spot in mans’ humanity towards his fellow man. But like most good ideas, and most good TV shows, it was cancelled due to lack of interest. Instead it was replaced with more popular pastimes like road rage and reality TV shows that display all of the worse traits that human beings have to offer.
To me the idea of doing something nice that is unsolicited is something that this world needs now more than ever. It also makes you feel good in the process. Not that you do it to feel good, it just happens to be a fortunate side effect. Plus on a life level it does worlds for your karma. And unless you are a saint we can all use a little help on that front.
It doesn’t have to be a big thing. As a matter of fact, sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most. Like holding the door for someone as you are entering or leaving the post office, or letting the person in line behind you at the grocery store go ahead of you and your full cart, when they aren’t expecting it.
Trying to do anything along these lines can be tricky nowadays due to the fact that so many people have developed such thick skins and always have their defenses up. At times it can feel like a chore just to be nice because of the negative reactions you sometimes get. Unfortunately, nothing can be more deflating to your spirit. Which could be the reason why more people don’t try and go that extra mile to make somebody’s day a little brighter.
It’s as though by accepting your kindness they are selling you their soul or worse they will somehow be indebted to you for life. Yes, I will allow you to enter the flow of traffic only if you give me your first-born child. My God I’m not the Devil. I’m just some poor sap who is trying to execute a random act of kindness damn it! So accept it or I will…wait a minute, I seem to have drifted a bit here.
I don’t know if it’s a commentary on the current state of the automotive industry or if there is a gremlin loose in the factory that produces the light bulbs for brake lights, but I have been running across a lot of cars with their brake lights out. When I do, I feel the need to inform the driver of the malfunction, thus helping them from getting a ticket and making the road safer for the rest of us.
Doing this one, given these days of road rage, paranoia, and tinted windows can be quite the challenge. There have been times when I have been able to pull up next to the person’s car, motion to them to tell them of the problem, and move on with their thanks. This is how it should work but it doesn’t always.
Depending on the time available and my determination to see the mission through it can take on the feel of a police pursuit as I try to manipulate my way through traffic to get to them. If they start driving like a fool though, I do back off, figuring if they are that bad of a driver they deserve a ticket.
The most interesting ones are those drivers that are English speaking challenged, which you really don’t know about until the window comes down. If this happens the best you can hope for is a long stoplight and that your pantomime or charades skills are good.
Now I’m not suggesting that this is something that everybody should do, but try to find one that you feel comfortable doing. The Acts of Random Kindness movement was a great idea and in these mean spirited, self-absorbed days it should be something that should be revisited. I know that my existence would be better if I experienced one everyday. But it has to start somewhere and that always needs to be the person in the mirror.
And if a grump like me can give it a try anybody can.
The Shrub Speaks: By the way, we rank 10th amongst the industrialized world in broadband technology and its availability. That's not good enough for America. Tenth is 10 spots too low as far as I'm concerned. Minneapolis, Minnesota, Apr. 26, 2004
B.D.’s Response: Let’s see Dubya, 10 from 10 is Zero. Is that where you want us to be?
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