David McElroy

This is a bit of a follow-up to the piece earlier today about random acts of kindness for strangers. In Hoboken, N.J., many homes still don’t have power, so cellphones are lifelines to the rest of the world for many people. The people who live in one home that has power wanted to help those who don’t have power, so they ran power strips out to the street and put up a sign inviting people to charge their phones. (Click on the photo for a bigger copy.)

This doesn’t cost as much as the tires in the earlier example, but it’s the spirit that matters. For people whose phones have died, this little gesture is worth far more than what it’s costing the homeowner. Many people do try to help others. Sometimes we just need to be more open to see what’s going on.

The world is a lousy place. Right? The government is out of control. People are stupid and mean. Nobody’s willing to help and everybody’s rude. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.

Except that isn’t really true.

It’s news when someone robs a bank or rips someone off. The TV cameras are there when a politician has been caught in another sex scandal or lying about something else in his life. But the cameras aren’t interested in the millions of good deeds that are done every single day — some big and some small — by ordinary people.

I was reminded of that again Wednesday when I found this note that someone had posted on Reddit. I don’t know where it happened, but someone came outside to find this note on his truck:

You do not know me but I saw that you needed some tires for your truck and I wanted to do something nice for a stranger because one day a stranger did the same for me. The receipt is in the envelope and all you have to do is go by Warehouse Tire on 3rd Street and ask for Steven Hodges and they will put them on for free. All I ask is that one day you do something nice for a complete stranger.

This isn’t the sort of thing to make the news. It’s not something that will get people outraged and passing it along to their friends in anger. And that seems to be what sells today.

Keep Reading

In another six days, the 2012 election will be over, but that day can’t come soon enough for 4-year-old Abigael Evans.

Abby’s mom posted this video to YouTube Tuesday to show her daughter’s displeasure. The little girl is crying and says it’s because she’s tired of “Bronco Bamma” and Mitt Romney.

Abby, we’re all sick of the election, too, but most of us are old enough to understand that the curse returns every four years. In fact, the 2016 race should be started before you can even dry your tears.

You’re right, Abby. It’s scary.