In the wake of the recent occurrences at Virginia Tech and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX; I'm still trying to comes to terms with the excessive violent acts that are defiling our society. Sometimes the signs are there; and ignored, while other times the signs are more subtle and it's the one simple thing that sets the person off.
In recalling some of my own angry outbursts, I know that sometimes the signs were there and others ignored them or I made light of things. On other occasions, I internalized and then someone said the wrong thing at the wrong time and I lost it. Fortunately, my outburst were just harsh words, but if I were a different person mentally, the results could have been physically explosive.
Nowadays, people have become more and more detached favoring emails and text messages over actual verbal conversations. With the increase in video games, people interact less in real-time; favoring online interaction. Gone are days were people get to know their neighbors moreso than saying "hi". We've simply lost the need or desire to bond, extend kindness; a kind word or deed. Our social interactions lend more to including alcohol as a means of letting lose or relieving stress. People simply don't openly communicate anymore and it's sad.
I've made a personal committment to extend acts of kindnesss wherever I am. Last week I helped a woman in WalMart retrieve an item out of her reach. It was funny to see the look of shock and then see her smile. I gave money to someone who needed exact change in order to get through the checkout faster. I helped a handicapped women move her items from her power wheelchair to a cart and pushed it out to the sidewalk for her to get them to her car. Each act was performed without really thinking about it and it made me feel good to help others. I gave compliments to those who performed good customer service instead of only thinking of the times where I had bad service. All of these things can have a positive effect on the receiver and give them a chance to see that there is still good in the world. Those simple acts would have prevented someone from beating their spouse or child, committing suicide, or some other negative act.
Random acts of kindess should NOT be random; it should simply be the right/nice thing to do.
I came across the following as I read my Daily Word this morning and think it sums everything up nicely...
Do a deed of simple kindness;
Though its end you may not see,
It will reach like widening ripples
Down a long eternity. —Anon.
Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life.
12 comments:
Glad that you took what occurred and used it to better the things around you...we all should do that...I wonder what causes folks to "snap"...I am just blessed that God allows me to not snap although I feel it coming sometimes :)
Have a great week!!!!
Okay, I didn't hear about Space shooting/suicide.
Snapping with words is so different from the motivation to kill.
Random acts of kindness I try my best in bringing it wherever I go. Although sometimes a girl ain't feelin' being kind and would sometimes be the receiver.
You've encouraged me to do something today.
Oh, and months ago I left a 100% tip for a waiter at Chili's. That felt so good!
honey - if we want things to change, we have to be a part of the change. lol@ you snapping.
rose - i don't know all the details, but there was a violent episode at the Johnson Space Center. Yes, snapping with words is different than a motive to kill, but it has happened. I know it's not always easy to be kind, trust me, but if we practice it often enough, we could cause a dominoe like change. Great for giving a 100% tip, i'm sure you made that persons day and inspired them to continue to work well with their customers.
beautiful post, blu!
and you are so right about it! you never know when jus sayin' something nice or doing something randomly kind for someone can change their whole outlook on the day or even on life itself! we never know when someone is at the end of their rope... NEVER!
and besides, it jus makes YOU feel good when you walk away knowing you surprised them or put a smile on their face.
you're awesome! you know that, right? ;)
love you lots!
peace and big hugs
This is lovely! It's something I try to practice, myself. Because, you're right, it's just the right thing to do. If more of us did it, the world would be a far better place. Yesterday, a lady fell on her bike in an intersection. I lifted up her bike. A man dropped his book on the way to work this morning, I picked it up and gave it to him. Pay it forward!
Thought provoking Blu. Unfortunately these things will always happen whilst humans are on the planet. Massacres have occurred throughout history, it only seems worse now because within seconds of happening these events can be beamed straight into our living rooms no matter where in the world they happened.
Maybe we need to look at how our obsession with celebrity in the modern age could be a factor in these shootings. When these guys are submitting "packages" of PR photos and video clips to the media we do have to wonder if all they want is their 15 minutes of fame...at any cost?
Keep on with the random acts of kindness...! ;)
so much uncertainty in the world...The maddness is too much sometimes...
I too helped an elderly lady with a jar out of her reach in the grocery store...and yes she was stunned that I helped her. It made me feel very good.....may day went well after that. I wish more people would do the simple things in life like helping people and keeping it moving.
It's sad but we know that more tragedies will continue to surface in the coming months and years. No other way but just to deal with it, but make sure YOU are safe and take every precaution
GOOD POST BLU
I LOVE this! Isn't it amazing the strange looks you get for extending basic kindness? It's becoming foreign to the average person to receive a kind act.
I bought coffee for an older woman in front of me at Wawa, and it was like she hit the lottery. I found out that she lived in the area and that I grew up right near her home.
She walked out with a different expression and a different light than she walked into the store. It truly is that simple to change somebody's life - and to inspire them to pass along the blessing.
Did you notice how a simple "hi" and a smile is sometimes received like you cussed somebody out? It is a dangerous thing when the heart of a person can't accept simple gestures.
You're blooming, lady. God is looking for people with your spirit to change the world for good.
I just HAD to come back and say something about people snapping.
I believe what we don't do is just as important as what we do. I believe "snappers" are simply loaded with negative experiences - but also missed the acts of kindness that people around them simply didn't do.
That's what makes the notion that we all created the problem so profound. For every moment that I decided to live my life in a bubble and withhold a kind act, I decreased the chance that goodness could have reached somebody like the VA Tech shooter.
And that's why... in my prayers for the lost... I ask God to forgive me not just for any wrongs I did... but for the right things I simply didn't do that may have spared the soul and spirit of another.
Thanks for getting this conversation started...
{{{hugs}}}
jus - it's just so crazy that people look at you with a crooked eye when you do nice things, but it's not gonna deter me...glad you found this post powerful...kinda knew you'd get it
bz - i know you know all about paying it forward and we need more sistas like you in the world on the movement.
lehane - so nice to have you back in the helm; you've been missed. i absolutely agree that the madness has been ongoing forever and it's the mass media that continues to spread the negative and not the positive. it's ironic that a negative event have spur countless attention, but someone doing a good thing gets a hot second of reporting. that's why it's up to us as individuals to do our part within our communinities or wherever we are in order to make difference whether it's televised or not.
hawa - you too have experienced the saddening reaction of doing something nice for someone, but dont stop. keep on reaching out to people and they too will reach out to others. God has rallied His people and will move us to do His will. We must continue to pray for all people as everyone is in need of something somewhere and it's that one simple thing we do that can lend favor to positive over negative.
Beautiful and uplifting post, so much going on in our world, spirituality I feel is a necessity
Nicely stated. It's natural for me to extend gestures of kindness. I do so without thinking. People close to me even yell at me for over-extending myself. Great post.
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