(or “How this whole mess got started.”)

This all makes a bit more sense if you read my first post first, and then come back here.

I have been noticing for some time that people just aren’t as kind and considerate as they could be (or as I expect they should be), and it has just been bugging me. Why wouldn’t you hold the door for the person coming into the store right behind you? Is it that 5 seconds too valuable to sacrifice for a stranger? And once I noticed a couple of these types of missed opportunities, the more missed opportunities I’ve noticed.

This one was the one that pushed me over the edge and made me decide to take action of my own.

Playing the role of "The Offender" - my van (I would NEVER really park here!)

One evening while sitting in my van at the busy gas station in our little town, I watched a guy pull up into the lane between the store and the first row of gas pumps (it’s pictured here using my van as the example). Where he parked, no other cars could get through that lane and no one could use either of the two gas pumps in that lane. AND NEITHER DID HE – he got out of his truck and walked into the convenience store and never pumped gas!!

I was furious! How rude and self-centered of him to park his car there with complete disregard of the needs or convenience of anyone else! This is just symptomatic of the bigger issue – people don’t take the time to consider how their actions (or inactions) affect those around them. And they don’t consider it because they don’t care. Too many people have stopped caring about anyone but themselves. Not all people – just too many. So that’s why I’m doing this project. I want to make sure I don’t lose sight of “The Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

WARNING: I expect that, some days, my acts of kindness will be relatively nominal – it may just be that I extend an extra compliment or hug to one of my kids. I make no guarantees as to the daily magnitude of my project, only that I intend to be kind at least once every day and that I will try to learn something from each kindness. You will just have to stay tuned for the rest!