Making the World A Little Better

[Fozzie Bear]

You already know his famous quote about leaving the world a little better than when he got here, so in continuing this sentiment I was thinking that we all need a really good challenge. Jim was one of the people working toward it, and it's really up to the rest of us to make it happen.

There are some sayings such as "Love ever, Hate never" (on the walls of the House of Blues). So, how do we spread this love?

Here is what happened today and how I felt convicted to participate:

I left a Saturday morning breakfast meeting about a very cool project and was headed to the park to shoot new video of Muley reading a poem I wrote (which should be in Issue 2 of Muley's Comix and Stories and also is directly inspired by the "Green" movement that Kermit is involved in).

On the way to the park, across the way and on the whole other side of three lanes, a median, and three more lanes I saw this young woman at her car obviously with a flat. She was hopping up and down on the bar to loosen the bolts.

I figured: She's got it all under control and I'm sure someone is on the way. I was going to ignore it and go about my own business.

But, I couldn't.

I crossed over a bypass and went back the other direction. I asked her, "Hi, can I help you?"

"My boyfriend is on the way, thanks."

"Okay," I said. "In the meantime, I'd like to try to help if you will let me."

She said okay. So, I loosened the bolts, jacked the car up, changed the tire and put on the donut. Come to find out, it was flat, too!

We talked (she wouldn't let me take her to a gas station to air the tire up and was waiting on her boyfriend) and I found out she's an artist (extremely great artist!) and had a show coming up. Now, we're networking: I'm sharing her information with the Mid-South Cartoonists Association and she's going to share more about Muley with folks she knows.

The point of all this is: she was alone, working on a flat, and it did take her boyfriend about 40 minutes to get there. I helped as much as I could and I hope to have made new friends.

It may be time consuming, and it may be a tough little job needing to be done, but I challenge everyone on MC (and anybody reading) to make that little effort to help.

And it's not just in laborious things: greet your waiters and waitresses with smiles and show them appreciation with saying please and thank you, and if you work in a service field show your customers appreciation and treat them how you want to be treated. Smiles and friendly manners go a long way.

I've been persistent with waving to people on my street where I now live and FINALLY they are waving back. It may take some time, but I think together we can make this world a lot better!

If you've done something special lately, share it here. If you have ideas how to make the world more positive for each of us, share it here.

Together, we can make a difference!

 

[D'Snowth]

Well, that was a very inspiring story Kev!

It may be time consuming, and it may be a tough little job needing to be done, but I challenge everyone on MC (and anybody reading) to make that little effort to help.

I can do that.

And it's not just in laborious things: greet your waiters and waitresses with smiles and show them appreciation with saying please and thank you, and if you work in a service field show your customers appreciation and treat them how you want to be treated. Smiles and friendly manners go a long way.

Tell that to my mom. Seriously, she once gave a waiter (who was new to the job) a nervous breakdown because she was so hateful towards him; sometimes, I hate going out to eat with her because she just humiliates me the way she is to waiters.

I've been persistent with waving to people on my street where I now live and FINALLY they are waving back. It may take some time, but I think together we can make this world a lot better!

The only problem with that, in America at least, is when you do that, people think you're weird... this isn't the 50s or the 60s anymore where everybody knows everybody, but you do have a point there.

Together, we can make a difference!

Too true.

 

[Skye]

Tell that to my mom. Seriously, she once gave a waiter (who was new to the job) a nervous breakdown because she was so hateful towards him; sometimes, I hate going out to eat with her because she just humiliates me the way she is to waiters.

I have a friend like that, too! She never thanks waiters, and she's always complaining that her food is wrong or too cold or anything. I have to admit, I often feel bad for the waiters because of the way she treats them.

But this is such a sweet story, Kevin! And it's so true. I am always smiling at people and, as I've gotten older, I've began trying to help people if I can, and if they want the help. Just being selfless and giving someone a smile or a friendly gesture can brighten up their day, make them feel good... and in turn, that makes you feel good, too. It's a wonderful domino effect!

 

[CensoredAlso]

I should have mentioned this at the time, but August 22nd was Be an Angel Day. Sort of like random acts of kindness, a day to do something kind for people, preferably anonymously. Of course, it doesn't have to be for one day. It fact it shouldn't be, it should be all the time.

Basically, I think it's good to sit down and think of how you would like to be treated during the day. Even things like holding doors for people and being nice to cashiers can go a long way.

 

[Skye]

I should have mentioned this at the time, but August 22nd was Be an Angel Day. Sort of like random acts of kindness, a day to do something kind for people, preferably anonymously. Of course, it doesn't have to be for one day. It fact it shouldn't be, it should be all the time.

Aww, I love that! That's really sweet. "Be an Angel Day." I'm gonna remember that, hehe.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Tell that to my mom. Seriously, she once gave a waiter (who was new to the job) a nervous breakdown because she was so hateful towards him; sometimes, I hate going out to eat with her because she just humiliates me the way she is to waiters.
[/QUOTE]

I also had a friend like that, and I began to hog the conversation with the waiter/waitress when we would go out. At one place, I got to know the waitress pretty good and asked her questions and she was honest about her job, low wage, tips (or lack thereof {it's a university area restaurant}), and my friend would see how I would react and behave with them, learning more about the junky job they have to do, and now my behavior was a lesson and now my friend is better toward people.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Good point, it's important to remember so many of this jobs are under paid and stressful; it's not there for fun, heh.

 

[wwfpooh]

Good point, it's important to remember so many of this jobs are under paid and stressful; it's not there for fun, heh.

Sadly, most minimum wage jobs seem--and are, to some--that way.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

and, as I've gotten older, I've began trying to help people if I can, and if they want the help.

I think that's great sweetie. But please be careful because about who you trust because you never know what crazy person might say that they need help and "forbid" do anything and who knows what might happen to you. It's just so hard to trust people these days, you know? People will not allow you to be nice to them and they want to walk all over and take advantage of other peoples niceness and generosity. That being said. It still pays to be nice and spread more of that around in the world and less meanness and cruelty that it our world every day!

 

[wwfpooh]

Where are the likes of Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Care Bears, and the like when one needs them? XD