Simple Acts of Kindness - Help Change the World
Posted: Friday, January 04, 2008
by Victorya Chase
http://victoryachasegoestotherapy.blogspot.com
When I was in college, well, before college even I was poor. I grew up poor, lived poor, was part of the society that newsertainment professionals like Morgan Spurlock or Barbara Ehrenreich just love to infiltrate to show how hard off it is. Yes, I lived in a car for a while, ate McGarbage. My brother and I dumpster dived as children fit into the giant trash containers behind supermarkets much easier than adults do. What made us happy were the simple things, kindness. I loved if, in school, my teacher gave me a new pencil (imagine, just for me!) or a friend gave me a sticker she found or we found cookies somewhere. Cookies- such a luxury! Those were the things that made my world a better place – acknowledgment of my existence, of kindness out there in the big world, which at the time seemed suffocatingly small.
But I still had that idea of how simple kindnesses can affect someone's day, and now had some actual loose change. I would buy stickers or these smiley face buttons and hand them out to random people, those who looked like they needed a smile. At first, my college friends found that a bit nutty. But when they saw how a sticker given to the man at the McDonald's register totally changed his attitude (from robotic and depressed to smiling and laughing with us) they realized that I wasn't as crazy as they initially thought.
It is these simple things that make us human, and it is the greatest power within all of us, to just be kind. When there is no money to buy stickers, or pins, or simply pay for the next two people behind you in line for pizza (a simple 4$), then there is always time for a compliment. On one occasion, I was at K-mart and the woman at the register had the most intricate hair braiding. I did what everyone should do – not keep positive thoughts to themselves- and told her how gorgeous it was. Imagine my surprise when she openly wept. She had been so proud of her hair, having saved up to have it done, and no one in her family had said anything about it, I was the first.
This contest, as it appeared in my inbox, asked how 100$ could help change the world. Some may think that that amount of money is too little, but there is no such thing when kindness is involved. Just by merely allowing positive thoughts to pass on to another person you are changing the world. Never be afraid to tell someone how you feel (even if they are strangers). Simple random acts of kindness can hold more power than you realize. Just the act of handing some stranger a flower can brighten their day, and who knows, maybe it will cause a chain reaction.
This Article has been viewed 1,560 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Your article broke my heart when you talked about living in a car and having to eat McGarbage. I have a friend when she was really young, she and her family lived in a back of a truck. I can relate to your experience in a way, thru her experience. I can not imagine having to live like that, I bet you appreciate the small things in life.......your article is very touching and excellent!! I love itThank you for your kind words! I think all these things in life help define us as a person, and really, that sticks with me but I like to think in a positive way. I know what it's like to have nothing, which kind of helps you appreciate what you do have (and also recognize some dangers inherent in excess)
I am back again, I just had to read your article again....your right the best things in life are free....acts of kindness....i just can't get over how your article touched my heart......
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.