Random Acts of Kindness

In Sunday's Daily Progress Newspaper there were so many shopping inserts that they had to put the "real news" in a separate plastic bag all to itself.  There were enough "deals" inside to provide a joyous holiday to a family with 50 kids...  I wonder how much money you would spend if you purchased every deal that was in each insert?  May be $100,000 ?

We are inundated with BUY, BUY 24X7, the American way, keeping the economy moving... Black Friday, Ciber Monday, Day after Christmas Sales, and the list goes on.  -- STOP -- Luckily I have a very short shopping list which hopefully will allow me time to focus on Holiday related things that I really enjoy... decorating the front porch and assembling my little artificial tree in which I hang my Grandmothers handmade eggs.  Drinking hot apple cider with cinnamon and listening to a few "themed" tunes.  It always seems I wait to decorate the front porch AFTER the temps dip - it's a really frigid week but the season must go on.

When I think of "the season" I try to push the continual selling of goods to the background and bring forward random acts of kindness.  If you did not hear about the brave soul that jumped down into the subway track to save a person, then you have missed such a random act.  It probably is more suitable for the heroism category but it truly was a random act of kindness.  I'm sure on the way to the subway the rescuer never dreamed they would jump down into a deep, dark and scary hole to save a life right before a massive speeding train shot at him.

As I was watching the local news last week, they showed a Salvation Army Bell Ringer that had been injured when someone stole his red pot.  Lawrence Agnor (UPDATE - READ BELOW - UGH) was trying to collect money for a cause that had helped him in the past when someone pushed him and stole the donations - pot and all.  The good news to the story is that Sam's Club donated $500.00 and I'm sure the story generated even more money.   The Bell ringer was eager to get back to his post and was so outraged that he actually became the hero of the story.  I wanted to go and hug the guy and give him all my money. UPDATE:  The "hero" was in on the heist - so instead of hugging him I would like to slap him up side o' the head.  Talk about LOW.  The good news is that he was led away in handcuffs today.  I'm giving him the 2010 "Killer of Kindness Award".



I'm feeling a bit Grinchy today

 It also gave me an idea that wouldn't it be a random act of kindness to drive around town from bell ringer to bell ringer carrying coffee?  I've never seen a bell ringer that was not bundled up to their eyeballs and kinda jumping in place - have you?  What a horribly COLD job.  May be someone will read this post and take me up on my idea.  UPDATE:  I met a nice bell ringer today that was outraged at the other bell ringers behavior - so let's hope there is just one bad apple and the rest of the bunch is not spoiled.

You never know, there are random acts of kindness all around, if you can wade through the newspaper inserts to find them.  -Rebecca