“If you think you’re beautiful prove it by doing something beautiful for others today.” — Joe Dallesandro
Riding the bus into work today I witnessed one of those random acts of kindness we hear so much about and are sometimes lucky enough to participate in. An elderly woman got on the bus walking with a cane. Even with the cane, she had trouble negotiating the steps and the aisle, walking with grace is clearly something that no longer takes up much of her thoughts – she even accidently jabbed a woman with her cane.
I’m not sure of the exact circumstance: she didn’t have the complete fare, or didn’t have the exact change. Either way, the LYNX driver – or “transit ambassador” as LYNX likes to call them – paid the remainder of her fare himself, and made sure she received her transfer ticket. It kind of surprised me because the man had done some grumbling and appeared to be having a rough morning.
This gesture made my day. (Well, that and learning that there’s an Eartha Lane in Orlando!) I wrote to LYNX to let them know about the driver and recommend that he be commended for it. I like writing to a company giving good comments because it seems like those don’t happen as often as they should; we sort of figure someone is doing their job, so no comment is needed. (Besides it helps me balance out the e-mail I have to write to Brighthouse for their atrocious service – it took three appointments to get our internet transferred when we moved.)
Maybe some of these Ripples will inspire you to be kind in the coming week or at least get your wheels to turning. Together we can start this new year out right!
School’s Cool, Fool
Pencils of Promise
Pencils of Promise is a classic example of how one moment can spawn an entire movement. While traveling through Indonesia, a small boy asked Adam Braun for a pencil. The expression on the boy’s face when he gave the pencil to the boy changed Adam’s life forever. Adam continued to travel and hand out pens and pencils, inspired by the potential these simple tools possessed. Eventually his project grew into PoP which now builds schools throughout the world. The link I’ve provided gives you several opportunities to get involved with this amazing project.
In TED We Trust
The TED Commandments
As a faithful reader, you know that I’m addicted to TEDTalks. I can’t get enough of them on YouTube and I’ve enjoyed attending TEDxOrlando events. These “meetings of the mind” are entertaining and always inspiring. My editor Jamie found this link on a blog called Swissmiss. The founder of TED, Richard Saul Wurman, states the best approach to delivering a TEDTalk. Not bad guidelines for approaching a speech in any forum, if you ask me.
Trees for MLK
Planting Seedlings for Civil Rights
You know how it is, you have to take your birthday and stretch it out to a weekend, a week, or a month, right? Because I’m odd this way, I’ve sketched out a plan for the couple of days before my birthday, but I was missing something to do on my actual birthday, January 17. That is, until today, when I received an e-mail from Jody Goostree, Keep Orlando Beautiful Coordinator for the City of Orlando. On my birthday, Keep Orlando Beautiful will be planting trees and cleaning up the Carver Shores community. There are additional activities planned. As you probably have surmised, the event isn’t in honor of my birthday, but in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I love the idea of recognizing the monumental step forward of the Civil Rights movement with positive action. So I’ll see you there, yes?
