Saving Lives

     What can almost all of us do to literally help save lives?  Hint:  It's easy, painless, free, and doesn't take much time.  That's right - we can give blood.  I'm embarrassed to say that for many years I never gave blood.  And not for any good reason at all.  I simply didn't do it.  Then our office started holding blood drives every 8 weeks and I figured I really had no excuse for not helping out.  Since then, I try to give a minimum of 5 or 6 times each year, and I always feel good when I do.

     Today was one of those opportunities.  A month or so ago a friend sent me an invitation to donate at a blood drive being held at her church.  It was about time for me to give, so I signed up to participate in today's event.  From what I'm told, my blood type, O negative, is the kind that can be used by anyone so it's in particular demand.  Given that our bodies replace the lost blood pretty quickly, it's hard to think of a reason not to help in this way, for the vast majority of people who are able to.  I was glad to do my part today, and look forward to doing it again in another 8 weeks.

Some Help for a Friend

     A number of weeks ago, my wife and I happened to bump into a friend of mine as we went out to dinner.  As we briefly caught up with each other, he told me about some challenges he was having in his business and how much my book was helping him.  Upon hearing about some of those challenges, I offered that I'd be happy to provide some help over lunch one day, to which he readily agreed.

     When I got home that night, I was sure to follow up to make sure we got that lunch scheduled, not wanting my offer to be perceived as anything less than sincere.  Today we got together for that lunch.

     Over a couple of hours, I got to know this friend and his business much better, and was able to share some helpful advice on a variety of topics.  I was glad to be able to parlay my knowledge and experience into something that was helpful for a friend.

Rite of Spring

     I participated in an annual rite of spring (or perhaps late winter?) this morning.  It was time for the Moorestown Rotary Pancake Breakfast.  This is an event that's put on every year by the two Rotary clubs in our home town.  It's the only event each year in which the two clubs work jointly, and it's always a big success, raising thousands of dollars for a variety of local charities.

     As a long-time Rotarian, I enjoy working the event.  It gives me a chance to connect with lots of people who I don't often see throughout the year.  While setting out placemats or cleaning up tables or pouring coffee, I get to chat with many friends and neighbors.  It's definitely a real small town American kind of event.

     This event also always reminds me of the volunteer spirit that's alive and well in our town, and I suspect, in many similar towns all across the country.  There are dozens upon dozens of local organizations that depend on volunteer labor to fulfill their mission of serving the community.  I've been involved in many of these organizations over the years, as have so many of my friends and neighbors.  It's definitely an important part of what makes small towns great places to live.

Two More Loans

     Regular readers of this blog will know that I have many times written about one of my favorite sites, Kiva.org.  Kiva is an organization that aggregates small amounts of money from thousands of people and facilitates the use of that money to make micro loans to hundreds of thousands of hard-working people in third world nations.  Through this site, I've already participated in 8 different loans, 2 of which have been repaid in full and the others are all being paid back right on schedule.  This evening, I used some of those repaid funds to make 2 new loans.

     My first loan was for a 38 year old farmer in Zambia.  This father of eight grows fruits and vegetables which he sells in a nearby market.  He wants to borrow money in order to buy a water pump which will enable him to expand his production and create a more predictable harvest since he'll be able to irrigate even in the dry seasons.  Believe it or not, right now he has to water his crops by literally carrying buckets of water to his fields.  The pump will make this process more efficient, allowing him to expand the area that he can farm.

     The other loan I made tonight was for a woman in Tajikistan.  This woman is trying to start a new business sewing and selling women's gowns and dresses.  She's completed a course in starting a business and is now raising the capital necessary to buy a sewing machine and fabrics.  My contribution will help her to raise that capital.  She'll be paying the loan back monthly over a period of 14 months.

     How cool is it that virtually all of us can make a material difference in the lives of people half way across the globe?  And these aren't people needing or looking for handouts.  They're hardworking, enterprising, people who just need small amounts of financing in order to start or to expand their businesses.  And by the way, the default rate on Kiva loans is a fraction of 1%!  I just love this organization and love participating in these loans.

Spreading Inspiration

     Today I had the opportunity both to inspire and to be inspired.  Let me explain further.

     Somewhat coincidentally, I had been scheduled to give two different talks about my kindness project today.  The first one was for a Rotary club in my hometown.  There were about 60 business and community leaders present, and I had the chance to explain what my project was about, tell some fun stories from my year of kindness, and then share some of my lessons learned.  A number of people came up to me afterwards, and some wrote to me as well, to let me know how my talk was inspiring to them and was motivating them to want to spread more kindness.  

     Later in the afternoon, I gave another similar talk to a group of students at a local high school.  While I'm told that I was an inspiring example to them as well, truth be told, I found the students themselves to be even more inspiring.

     The students are all part of a club based on a program called Rachel's Challenge.  Rachel Scott was the first student killed in the Columbine tragedy back in 1999.  Apparently, Rachel was a pretty amazing young woman who demonstrated kindness every day and who believed in the contagious power that kindness has to make a difference in our world.  In her memory and honor, and to keep her spirit and dream alive, Rachel's family created the concept of Rachel's Challenge.  It's a program to engage students, primarily at the high school level, in creating and spreading a culture of kindness in their schools and communities.  

     Hearing about the students' activities, and seeing their dedication and enthusiasm was inspiring to me.  It reminded me just how contagious this kindness thing can be.

     I was also reminded about this during a breakfast conversation with a friend this morning.  The friend is a subscriber to my blog and he told me today how reading my stories has increased his awareness of the opportunities for kindness that were all around him, and more importantly, how that greater awareness has translated into him doing acts of kindness that he likely wouldn't have done previously.  That's always great to hear.

     And one final kindness note for the day, I stopped on my way home today and picked up a nice bouquet of roses for my wife, just because.

Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

     I was coming home from a business trip to Florida today and as I was walking from the gate where my plane had arrived to the baggage claim area, a man stopped me to ask for help.  He told me that the train was going to cost him $7, but that he only had $4.  "Could I possibly give him the necessary extra $3," he wanted to know.  Without hesitation, I reached into my wallet and gave him the money he had requested.  He was so appreciative and couldn't stop saying "God bless you" as I left.

     I've written a number of times about situations like these and the dilemma they can present.  On the one hand, there are plenty of con artists out there and this could simply be a scam.  On the other hand, he sure looked like he could use a hand; and it's unusual for someone to have at least part of the money they need and to be so specific in their request.  I've also come to think that even if some of these people I help aren't entirely truthful about their situation, if they're so bad off that they have to beg strangers for help, then the  least I can do is assist them anyway.

     It's also an interesting observation that nearly every time I do one of these types of acts of kindness, the recipient offers a somewhat religious affirmation -"God bless you", for example.  I'm not really sure just what that's about.  I don't know if they're really "believers" in a particular religion, or if it's just a generic way of expressing appreciation.  Either way, it's interesting how frequently I've experienced that.

     I also took time to pick up any trash I noticed on the ground as I was walking through the terminal.  It wasn't a big deal, but I saw it, and there were lots of trash cans around, so why not pick it up? 

     And, as usual, I made a point to use the name of any worker I encountered who was wearing some kind of name tag.  A simple thing that makes the world feel more personal.

A Letter to Uganda

     Today I wrote another letter to John, the 8 year old child I've been sponsoring in Uganda through Compassion International.  I recently received a letter from him as well.  He drew some pictures for me and told me about how his family was harvesting beans and maize.  It's truly almost impossible to fathom just how different his life must be from anything remotely like my own upbringing.  

     Compassion International is a pretty amazing organization that currently facilitates the sponsorship of more than 1.1 million children around the world!  That's a staggering number.  While it's a faith-based organization, and it's a faith I don't personally share, I can't help but be impressed and moved by all the good the organization is doing.  They make it incredibly easy to sponsor a child, and then to keep in touch.  I can simply write a letter on their website and can even upload pictures, and then they have the letter translated and delivered to my child.

     My son Ben has been sponsoring a couple of children for some time now, and when he was in Rwanda last year, he had the opportunity to visit his child and his family in their small village.  Here's a link to the blog post Ben wrote about that experience.

     We all can see every day the many ways in which technology has made our world smaller.  It's easier than ever to do business around the world, to communicate with people around the world, and to learn about people and events around the world.  It's also easier than ever to be kind to people around the world.

Anticipation

     I was traveling home on a flight from Orlando this afternoon and I was seated in the aisle seat.  When the plane landed and it was time to gather our belongings from the overhead bins, I asked the woman next to me if she'd like me to reach her things for her.  I know what it's like when you're in the window seat and you have to wait for everyone as you try to get to your stuff.  She appreciated my getting it for her.

     This was one of the many incredibly small and simple things that make up kindness.  One of the things I've noticed in the past year is that some of the most appreciated forms or kindness are when they're unexpected.  When you anticipate someone else's needs and respond to them before they're noticed or asked for.  Of course, this takes awareness.  I think one of the results of a year of kindness for me is that my awareness is much more tuned in to looking for, or anticipating these opportunities, and then responding to them.  Like anything else, it takes practice.

Garbage Man

     I was out running this morning in the dark, cold, and wind, and as I was finishing up I saw a garbage can lying on its side in front of a house, with the lid a few feet away and with a bag of trash having fallen out in front of it.  This kind of thing sometimes happens on windy days. I initially ran right past the can, eager to get done and get on some warm clothes; and to be honest, I hate having to stop my run.  However, after a year of practicing kindness, I had a hard time ignoring the opportunity to take care of it.  So I turned around (I was just a few steps past the garbage) and picked up the trash and put the can upright, replacing its lid.  Then I went on to finish the run.

     Prior to the past year I would have no doubt run past without taking the time to address the issue.  After all, it wasn't my garbage, and "somebody else" will/should handle it.  But I've come to see that kindness is a shared responsibility.  It really doesn't matter whose job it "should" be.  I saw it, so why not stop and take care of it?  I suppose that's a big part of what it means to be part of a community - thinking of our world as a shared responsibility as opposed to only worrying about my stuff.  A simple, but powerful thought.

Pizza Makes A Man Happy

     I was traveling to Charlotte today and had a couple of opportunities to spread some kindness.  Our plane out of Philly was delayed nearly an hour due to some maintenance paperwork (this kind of thing has unfortunately become all too common), and this put a lot of pressure on many people who had connections to make.  Charlotte is one of US Air's hubs, so there were quite a few people stuck in this position.  In fact, the man sitting next to me spent most of the flight muttering obscenities as a way of venting his frustration.  When we finally landed, I sat patiently in my seat and let everyone who had connections to make get off ahead of me.  

     After I settled into my hotel this evening, I went in search of a good pizza place to have dinner.  Several blocks away I found one called "Libretto's."  I noticed they had whole wheat dough on their menu and I was excited to enjoy a whole wheat pizza.  Unfortunately, the waitress informed me that they ran out of whole wheat dough over the weekend when they served a big convention.  Nevertheless, the pizza was still quite good.  When the waitress brought my check, she also brought me a $10 gift card as a way of apologizing for not having the whole wheat dough I was craving!  This was a surprising, but thoughtful gesture, and gave me a chance to expand the kindness.

     As I walked to the restaurant before dinner, I noticed a man out front about a block away who was playing the drums, seated in front of a basket in which he was collecting money.  I tossed in a few coins that were in my pocket and gave him a friendly smile.  When I was leaving the restaurant, I decided that it might be nice to give him the gift card.  When I gave it to him and explained what it was, he was incredulous.  I don't think I've ever seen some one so excited.  He kept thanking me, telling everyone around us what I had given him, and saying, "I get to eat!"  While it was sad to think that "getting to eat" was such a momentous occasion, I was nonetheless glad to be able to bring him such joy.