Good Samaritan 1 and 2

The first good samaritan story is from New York. This happened about three weeks ago and I just remembered the story. The story is that a four year old had crawled out onto the fire escape and had slipped. He was hanging from the fire escape and was trying to hold on, but it was evident his grip was slipping. Two guys walking by saw what was happening and went over to stand under the "baby" to catch him. The baby bounced off the chest of one man and into the arms of the other. A few scrapes, but everyone is OK.

The second good samaritan story/video is from the Boston area. A man was driving down the street and saw some smoke at a house. An older boy with his younger brother were stuck in the burning house and could not get out. The brothers were out on the roof trying to find a way to escape. A mystery good samaritan pulled over, worked with the mailman to find a ladder nearby, and they crawled up to get the kids down. A little scary, but everyone is OK.

Good people doing great things that will forever change how life unrolls for these kids.

Thanks

I'm a principal at an elementary school and often we have to celebrate the little things that go a long way. Today one of the teachers at my school called to share her joy, and I wanted to share it out to you.

This teacher has a volunteer who on her own comes in and reads to kids. Often. She is one of those great volunteers that develops positive relationships with kids and makes them feel smart and goes the extra mile to help out. Well this volunteer had to take some time off for surgery. She is doing well I'm told, but interestingly, the volunteer's mom contacted the teacher. The volunteer's mom told the teacher about all of the great things she is hearing about our school and the teacher's class. The mom went on about what a great experience this has been for the volunteer, and that they both realize how much the teacher gives of herself to make the classroom work.

The mom then gave the teacher $200 to use as she sees fit. Of course the teacher is immediately spending it on more school supplies that unfortunately we can't always afford. And you know what, $200 is a bunch of money when you are trying to get more books, paper, and used headphones for practice reading.

So thanks, Mrs. Mom of the volunteer. You have now just dropped a pebble into our space and the ripples are making everything seem a bit brighter.

Breakfast Lady

Sometimes we need to just hear about nice folks. Like the Breakfast Lady in Coleharbor, North Dakota. And I personally enjoy a story if they include the phrase "you betcha".

My family is from rural Minnesota and "you betcha" is a quick way to say "no problem...I'll take care of it, and...here, put your feet up and let me get you some hotdish and some bars (aka goulash and some brownies)". Reading this story made me reflect on how good people are to be found everywhere you go.

The Breakfast Lady, Kristi Baker, is a member of a community that was hard hit by storms last summer. Most of the homes and businesses were destroyed, or severely damaged, when high winds smashed up most of the buildings. One of these buildings was the Wolf Creek-Xing. The Wolf Creek-Xing was the meeting place in town. Similar to my grandma's little town, sometimes there is only one place to gather and connect with neighbors, and Wolf Creek-Xing was that place in Coleharbor. For a number of reasons, Wolf Creek-Xing decided not to reopen.

The community missed their morning coffee together. That's where the Breakfast Lady steps in. She offered to cook up a little breakfast and brew a little coffee at the local bar every morning to give folks a place to connect and visit together.

I think at times we forget how good it is to stop and visit with others. What a great sense of belonging we have when we take time to eat together and share stories. I wish I had a place like the Harbor Bar where everyone is welcome and everyone listens. Doesn't mean everyone agrees, but the fact that there is a place where everyone is welcome is a gift small communities share. Thanks Breakfast Lady for taking time to whip up some good food to go along with good times.

A Place Where You Will Find All the Love a Mother Would Give

Imbabazi translates in Kinyarwanda to "a place where you will find all the love a mother would give." This is the name of the orphanage Rosamond Carr built.

Rosamond had moved to northwestern Rwanda in 1955 to follow her adventurer husband. At that time Rwanda was known as the Belgian Congo. Together, they bought a flower plantation, but after 14 years of marriage, they divorced in part because her husband did not want to have children. Rosamond continued to live there and recounts her life in Rwanda in the book Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda.

When the genocide began in 1994, Rosamond left and traveled to the states to visit friends. She remained glued to the television, watching as the country broke down and neighbors killed neighbors. She heard about how a refugee camp had been set up not very far from her plantation, and unfortunately there was a cholera epidemic leaving thousands of children as orphans. It was at that moment that Rosamond decided to return to Rwanda. She had heard her car had been stolen and her home had been emptied by looters. But, Rosamond was determined to help the orphans and decided she would walk over to the refugee camp and walk as many babies back as she could carry.

At that time she was 81.

Rosamond did follow her heart and did set up an orphanage. She named it Imbabazi Orphanage and vowed it would be "a place where you will find all the love a mother would give". She continued running the orphanage and worked to find medicine, money, clothes, bandages, and all of the things necessary to help children grow to become the hope of Rwanda. She did not give up. Even up to her death this past fall at the age of 94, Rosamond continued to work tirelessly for her kids.

There is a group that is working to keep the orphanage running. They are not sure how long it will remain open, but they are doing all they can to keep it going for the kids that remain there. For 300-400 children, it has been life saving. It has also been a way children can learn skills and become independent. There was also a photography project similar to the one highlighted in the movie Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids. You can see a few of the images from the Imbabazi photography project in this short gallery. The show is on tour and is currently in Houston at the Holocaust Museum.

Take time to look at the great images. You can see some images from Frederic who somehow was able to take pictures without any hands. They were cut off by fellow Hutus when he refused to participate in the genocide and kill Tutsis. You can also buy pictures directly from the Rwanda Project. All proceeds go to support future photography projects and education for those children who have taken the photos.

It makes me wonder...when I am 81, will I have the passion and the focus to change the world? What about now? How can I step up and reach out and create that ripple that makes a difference?

Link to a great peek of a new documentary about Carr.

(photo found at this location: http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/world/0701/gallery.rwanda.project/gal.11.rwanda.jpg )

Basketball Hero for a Day

I saw this video a while back and just stumbled across it again. It is a story about Jason, who is autistic. Jason goes to school at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, New York, and he has been the ball boy for the varsity boys basketball team. It was the last game of the season, and the coach wanted to give Jason a taste of what it is like to suit up for the game. Jason loves basketball. So, Jason took a break from being the ball boy, and sat on the bench with the other players, cheering them on.

With 4 minutes to go in the game, the coach decided to put Jason in. Just that, in itself, is a feel good moment. Watch the crowd stand up and cheer Jason on. But then, you have to watch how the remaining 4 minutes pan out. And again, keep your eye on the crowd. You can see how Greece Athena High School has embraced and supported Jason. It just makes one smile.

Lose Weight and Build Houses

On October 2, 2005, Matt McKenna weighed 500 pounds. In December of 2006, Matt had reached his goal of 240 pounds. Maybe for some this isn't such a life altering, local hero, awe inspiring story. But to me, it is a reminder that people all around us are facing challenges and having to make hard choices that can be kind of scary, or maybe just a bit embarassing, or maybe simply uncomfortable. For Matt, it might have been all of these things, but he did it.

I've known people who haven't been able to control their weight. Some people who talked about it and were a bit overweight, maybe. Some people who didn't talk about it at all, but maybe should have been. Some people who made people laugh about it. Some people who had their stomach stapled which ended up causing some serious harm (although they are OK now). Some people who have died from their excessive weight because they suffocated during their sleep they were so heavy. Truth is, we all have at least one demon that stops us from being better. For some, it is eating too much -- or excercising too little depending on how you look at it. For me, one of my demons is I have this bad habit of picking my face. I'll do it in the mirror some days, or maybe just absentmindedly pick at my face while I'm sitting around. For me, picking is not a serious health risk, but it's not good for me. I need to stop.

Matt's story is a reminder that I need to stop doing things that aren't good for me. And, I need to start recognizing the little ways people are changing so they can have a better day tomorrow. Hats off to those of you who are working for change. Congratulations for every little step you took today and this week, and throughout your life to turn the corner into a new world. I celebrate your resiliency and your willingness to face the uncomfortable. And if you haven't felt strong enough to do what you think you need to do, know we are behind you supporting you and silently cheering you on. Here's to a new today. Not tomorrow. We really shouldn't wait any longer. Here's to a new today.

Oh, and p.s., for inspiration, Matt had a fundraiser while he lost weight. For every pound he lost, he raised money and donated the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. A little pressure and a good deed all in one.

Just Believe

I'm one of those Secret junkies, choosing to believe that what I believe can change my reality. If you've seen the movie, you'll understand. It's part of why I'm spending time finding positive news. Because I believe all of the negative news fills our head with negative thoughts which in turn leads us into a pile of quicksand that sucks us down into a negative spiral. Lots of news lately about burglaries? Well everyone watches these reports, they start thinking about burglaries, they start believing burglaries are possible, and they start drawing in burglars to match their thinking. More burglaries. More thinking. More worrying. More burglaries. Vicious cycle. You get the picture.

So, keep on comin' back and I'll try to put a slighty different spin on what is going on around us. More great stuff is going on than we ever know. Unfortunately those in charge of the news think we don't want to see it. I do. And here's a story to boost my belief.

Here Rich Fritsky had an ugly rare disease that put him in the hospital for 441 days. The disease cuts off your circulation, and he was put in a medically induced coma. They didn't know if he would come out of it, and the odds were stacked against him. But of course he did. Watch his story and see what you think.

Never, ever, ever stop believing in yourself and all that is possible. Just believe. (There are forces out conspiring to bring you everything you've ever wanted.)

Oil Money Put to Good Use

Good news in Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the Murphy Oil Company has made a huge donation of $50 million dollars to pay for up to five years of college for every student from El Dorado High School in El Dorado, Arkansas. Yup, that's how it is. Every student that graduates from El Dorado High School will receive money to pay for college (with only a few stipulations...see below).

Murphy Oil Company is based in El Dorado and this is their way of giving back to the community. You can use the tuition money anywhere you choose, but you will receive the equivalent of what it would cost to attend the most expensive state university in Arkansas.

Now maybe this doesn't seem like such a big deal. Lots of companies are giving lots of scholarships and doing lots of wonderful things. True. But, we don't always here about it, and often there are so many strings attached to the scholarships, they end up only supporting a few students. This seems to be a truly generous offer to pay for college tuition for up to 1, 335 students, the entire high school student body. There are only a few caveats. You have to live in the El Dorado school district. You have to have attended school in the school district since 9th grade. And you have to graduate from high school. If you are thinking of moving to El Dorado to take advantage of this deal, know your child will only receive 65% of the funds if he or she has only attended school in the district since 9th grade. Not the whole pie, but still a very generous offer. When I think back to my own college days, something like this would have made it possible for me to attend school without dragging behind me a ball and chain of student loans, and I could have dropped a few of my jobs.

During the day I work as an elementary school principal. There is so much potential in the kids I get to work with. So much joy and such a sense of play. And it surprises me some days. Many of the kids in my school come with so many strikes against them, and they just keep plugging along smiling the whole way. I wish I could open up my checkbook and make it happen. Certainly one of the reasons to become a millionaire.

So, today we celebrate that some of those extra dollars we recently spent on gas is quietly being funneled to a group of kids in Arkansas. I think more money could be spent on kids by oil companies who made record profits this year, but we'll take what we can get.

Lost in New York

You don't have to be alone to find yourself lost. In fact, this story shows there are times when the lost are standing right next to us.

A man named Damon Mootoo who is 32 years old had recently arrived to his brother's house in Queens, New York. He had flown in from Guyana. After being in the city for about 12 hours, he decided to go out and take a walk...stretch his legs a bit. He walked a few blocks and became disoriented and could not find his way back. Damon had heard many scary stories about people in New York, and he didn't have his permanent resident card with him. He was afraid he would be hurt or deported. So he kept walking and trying to find his brother's house.

This lasted for five days.

Damon did find himself begging for water, but was too ashamed and shy to ask for food or shelter. He does speak English, but he doesn't hear well. Together, all of these factors led him to spend five days and four nights on the streets of New York. Some nights the temperature ended up in the low 20s. One night he pulled a piece of wood over him to give him some shelter. Another night he was able to get inside an abandoned car. He was very hungry, tired, and scared.

Finally, another man, Michael Bharath, noticed. He saw Damon shivering on the street and so Michael and his wife gave Damon a sandwich. This allowed Damon the safety he needed to open up and shared his story. Damon, Michael and his wife together were able to find Damon's brother's address on a piece of paper Damon had, and once that fell into place, Michael and his wife drove Damon there. Of course, Damon's brother was very worried and had put flyers all over the city. It was a happy reunion to say the least.

This story is such a great reminder that sometimes we need to just slow down and notice all that is going on around us. How many people had seen Damon and made various assumptions about who he was. How many people had Damon seen and had made his own assumptions? What is it about being human that makes us so insular? How is it we pass so many people every day and don't know their names, their fears, their joys? How many people do we claim we "know", and yet we really don't? We only know their phone extension, not what worries them at night when they are trying to fall asleep. We know what their uniform looks like, but we don't know what makes them smile or what their favorite music is or how they met their significant other. In fact, sometimes we don't even know these things about ourselves.

Life is too short not to slow down and live deliberately and with passion. The more we do does not always equate to a more fulfilling life. Sometimes it ends up robbing us of the very joy of looking out the window and seeing what is beautiful. Sometimes it strangely ends up that so many ships are passing in the night a man spends five days lost in the middle of a city.

Kiss your children and tell someone you love them and eat something you love to taste. And then look around in case someone near is lost.

Grieving Mother Fights for Mercy

Susan Barich lost her son when a drunk driver was driving the car her son was in, and crashed. The drunk driver, Jessica Binkerd, had been at a party with Susan's son, Alex Baer. They left together and Jessica swerved over into the other lane and hit another car head on. The other driver was not injured. Jessica broke her ankles and suffered other injuries. Alex died at the scene.

Susan believes it was an accident. She believes Jessica has enough to deal with knowing her friend was killed because she had been drinking and then chose to drive. Susan does not believe putting Jessica in prison will somehow make it different for Jessica, or somehow change the actions of all the others who have been drinking and then drive. It is not a deterent in her mind, and she is working to help keep Jessica out of prison. She is asking for mercy.

Susan is keeping her own blog about her feelings and how she is dealing with the death of her son at http://atthehearth.wordpress.com/. You can read one of her recent postings where she describes a study she participated in while studying at college. She was asked to play "wack a mole" and then drink and play "wack a mole" again. It made an impact, and Susan wonders what we are doing to help others understand the true debilitating effects of alcohol...or cell phones, aspirin, or advil for that matter. In another article posted today on Reuters, it was reported that 81% of Americans do other things while they are driving such as shave, eat, and talk on the phone. 5% of Americans confessed to answering email while driving.

I believe Susan's point is the crash was an accident. The problem is bigger than just Jessica Binkerd drinking before she was driving. Susan is trying to point out that individuals in our society are not safe drivers in many ways, and "but there for the grace go I". You know, we've all been there.

Maybe Susan is off base. Maybe not. But she is making us think. And she is taking the bold and often difficult step of forgiveness. Read the article about her found at the LATimes. I'm not sure I would be able to forgive so quickly. And I think I would be pissed at my child for getting in the car in the first place if it wasn't a safe place to be. And then I would remember all of the times I should have talked to my child about doing the right thing. In the end it would be my fault. Then I might be able to step beyond and begin to forgive. Susan jumped into it so quickly. For Jessica, and for Jessica's mother, Susan's request for mercy is a small touch of the hand of God. I'll try to do the same.

The Lost was Found

In Jakarta, an Australian man named Keith Kimmons was snorkeling and enjoying the sites. When he emerged from the water, he was disappointed to see that his wedding ring had fallen off during the swim. His Indonesian guide, Jamhuri, promised to keep looking for it every time he returned to this specific reef. They exchanged information, and the Australian man returned home. Nine months later, he received a text message saying that the ring had been found. Jamhuri had kept his word and had looked for it every time he returned to the reef. After a storm, some of the coral had been disturbed and Jamhuri spotted it.

Kimmons had to force Jamhuri to take a reward.

What a great world we live in.

Now, if I could just find that fountain pen I lost a few months ago.

Free Hugs in South Korea

I first stumbled across this story in the Boise newspaper, but the video was a bit chopped up and moved immediately to the next video -- which highlighted skiing cowboys. Not that I have anything against cowboys, but I'm trying to stick to a theme here of positive actions and positive thinking making change in the world. So I searched a bit more. One thing I've noticed about stories is there are usually many variations on a theme. Although there are so many news reporters out there fighting to get a story, often they just end up grabbing similar ideas and trying to put their own spin on it. So, I went looking for free hugs in South Korea.

Turns out there seems to be a fledgling world wide movement of people willing to give free hugs to strangers. Vancouver, Korea, Germany, Finland, US. I'm not sure where it started, but the videos are moving.

This is one of the English speaking videos I found. Somehow, just watching strangers hug is incredibly moving and warms my heart. I love watching people get over some of their inhibitions just to share a hug. And everyone smiles. Everyone.

Turns out free hugs aren't as free as you would think. Somewhere along the line the "authorities" are called in and try to shut down the Free Hugs people. What could be the problem? Watch and see how it gets resolved. Inspiring, and every time I watch it I am moved. How wonderful that such a small act could make such a big difference.

This is the the first video I stumbled across. It is from South Korea. Equally as moving. I think they share the same music called "All the Same" by the SickPuppies.

I don't mind where you come from, the lyrics say. I'll take you for who you are. I'll take you for who you are.

New Danville -- A New Type of "Planned Community"

Positive news. Why do we have to work so hard to find news that makes us feel good. Even the Good News Daily seems to have to stretch a bit too hard to make a positive spin on every day's news. They are doing an admirable job with little help from the media. Someday. . . someday we will have a news channel available to us that ONLY focuses on positive stories. In the meanwhile, welcome back to "All That is Good".

I stumbled across this great story in a Texas newspaper called The Bulletin Online. It is highlighting a new planned community called New Danville. This planned community is only for those who have mental retardation.

Recognizing that many with mental retardation suffer discrimination in many forms and are often not able to live independently, New Danville hopes to create a place where individuals with mental retardation can live in a supportive community that allows them as much independence as is possible. It is spearheaded by a mom, Kathy Sanders, who has a son who is mentally challenged. She has watched and seen how hard it is to find services and resources for her son, and wanted a place for him to be when she is gone. What a common concern, I believe, for any parent who has a child who is not able to live independently. If this new community works, what great hope there will be for these families. Every parent wants for their child a place for them to grow and be happy. New Danville might be the answer.

You can read the article for yourself, but in short, the community will be located on 42 acres in an area I believe is north of Houston, Texas. It is actually going to be built on the same location the original town of Danville was located. This planned community will include affordable housing for individuals with mental retardation, and they will live in homes with four bedrooms. Three residents and one live-in staff member will share the home together. The planned community will also include a agricultural area where residents can learn skills related to farming. There will be a cheese making facility in the creamery and anyone can come and buy cheese and sample cheese in the cheese tasting room. There will also be an education area that will teach residents social skills and various job skills, and will include animal therapy as residents learn to raise miniature horses and donkeys.

What a great idea. What a wonderful place to have people with mental retardation feel like they are part of a community while also providing them with a level of independence few of them have had the joy to experience. And, what a relief for family members who worry about their future.

You can buy a raffle ticket to win a very expensive house in another planned community called The Woodlands. I bought one. Good Karma, good cause, and you just might win.

Martin Luther King

Yesterday was Martin Luther King day -- officially "Human Rights day" and I somehow didn't make the connection with him and what I'm trying to do here.

Today at school (I'm an elementary school principal) we talked about who Martin Luther King was and what he did to change the world. My school is very multi-ethnic and in a very low, socio-economic area. An area where many blacks and hispanics live. So many kids had no idea who Martin Luther King was.

Today I learned he had been stabbed by a black woman and was hospitalized. He was at a book signing for one of his books and a black woman came up, asked him if he was Martin Luther King, then stabbed him in the chest with a letter opener. He was rushed to a Harlem hospital and endured a three hour operation before beginning his recuperation at the hospital. He asked that the woman not be put in jail, but instead be placed in a psych ward where she could get the help she needed. (If you read the beginning of her statement you can see she was certain MLK and his cronies were after her and were stopping her from getting work). If you read MLK's statement from the hospital, you can see he is a man of peace...and a man on a mission. His closing line shows his commitment to the cause.

"Finally, although my thoughts have never left the Freedom struggle, I am intensely impatient to rejoin my friends and colleagues to continue the work we all know must be done regardless of the cost."

Regardless of the cost. He knew. He knew what he was doing was pushing the envelope and putting himself at risk. And yet he could not rest.

Post the positive!

Where is all of the good news out there? I turn to the media and all I see is mayhem. I want a place where I can read about life working out. How heroes rise up and reach out to others. Please post any links you have to positive stories, or post your own. This is the place to start changing our focus from all that is wrong to "all that is good"!

How about this story. Woman was lost for 6 weeks in the Gila Wilderness. They had stopped looking for her two weeks ago. But she did not give up hope and serendipitously two hikers came by deep in the wilderness. Read about how life works out.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/15/camper.rescued.ap/index.html

Or this story. Man jumped to help a teen trapped and about to be hit by the subway. And it all works out. Watch the video of him talking about it on David Letterman. Inspiring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4GaStsLadQ&eurl=