This has been a little bit of a challenging time for me. I generally try to be a “positive” type person. Recently, being “positive” has not been entirely easy. Grant you, I cover what I need to cover and I take very seriously my role in giving the community the information it needs, no matter if it's “good” or “bad.” If a nursing facility is coming up short in their obligation to their patients and families, then I will tell that. If certain government officials are rude and demeaning to their fellow town officials, then the citizens need to know. If certain town officials are being dishonest, then I feel it is my duty to help hold them accountable. It's not exactly “fun” to tell those stories, but I will not back away from telling them.
At the same time, I sometimes long for “something good.” I saw something earlier this morning that made me think. It was simply, “It literally takes a few seconds to make anyone's day better!” As I thought about this simple statement, I began to realize just how true it is. I began to feel a bit better.
There have been times when I have had the opportunity to do a little something for someone else. It's easy and kinda fun. Like the time I bought a “smiley face” cookie for a little kid (with his mom's permission) in line at a lunch counter. Or the time I was able to give a bottle of water to a homeless guy sitting on the sidewalk. On many occasions I have been in the drive-thru line at a popular breakfast establishment and the person ahead of me had paid for my breakfast. Wanting to “keep the good going,” I always volunteer to pay for the person behind me. On more than one occasion, I have found out that their breakfast tab was about $20, compared to my $5. “Oh well,” I usually say, “Let's keep the good going anyway.”
Sometimes it really is just as simple as giving someone a smile, that's when it's easy. I'm not sure what the long-lasting effect of those little “acts of kindness” are. I like to think that they are sometimes life altering. More often than not, it's probably just a momentary brightening of someone's day. But, enough of those small bits may add up to something big for someone who might just need it. It really doesn't have to cost a lot of money; that is, depending on the breakfast order of the person behind you in line.