RANDOM ACTS...
Our species has an immense capacity for emotion and it is our nature that determines how we apply it.
One of the first groups I joined on the Amazon Discussion Threads, back in 2011, was Random Acts Of Kindness. This was a rather eclectic bunch of like-minded individuals; their sole purpose to seemingly spread a little happiness... and it was very addictive.
The very nature of the thread and its location determined that, in the vast majority of cases, the members often gifted e-books to other members. Being in the UK, where Amazon had no facility to gift books, I really did feel like a spare wheel but the people were awesome... and you know what? They didn't care.
Within a month, my then-new Kindle went from having around 40 books, to having almost 200. Eventually, with the aid of a US-based member, I was able to gift books and did so anonymously, using a number of pseudonyms. It was incredibly addictive.
I still call into the group from time to time. I rarely have time to participate, but I intend to make my way back into the mix when life's perpetual trials allow.
In the meantime, RAOK has a Facebook Group. Not visible to the occasional hunter, the group runs with many of the regulars from my original time on Amazon and although the dynamic of the Facebook group is slightly different, I still feel the same camaraderie amongst them.
There were always instances of RAOK-ing which shocked and stunned people. The perfect example being the member who gifted her extra laptop to one of the other members, who could not replace their old, broken one... You see, Random Acts Of Kindness was not about filling Kindles with books. It was... and still is... about the way we apply our own human nature.
It made no difference whether or not you were able to give a gift, and if you did, it made no difference if you did so anonymously; the appreciation and thanks sent out were always genuine.
Often, the nicest RAOKs were the truly random ones... someone paying for someone else's order in the drive-thru (I did that once, and always wondered how it was received)... Someone giving a homeless person the coat off their back when it was raining... someone sending a bank transfer to make sure rent was paid... There were many examples of extreme kindness.
There are those out there who would label these acts as foolish; as gullible people being conned out of their hard-earned money. To them I would say: You really have to get to know these people to fully understand.
Take a look at the photo. Not a quick glance, a proper, studying, 10 second look.
What do you see? What is your over-riding thought?
Do you see an act of kindness?
A child placing their hands in danger?
A pink basin that you would have used to feed the horse?
Our nature defines us; makes us what we are. It tells us whether we care, ignore, love, hate, avoid, embrace, hold on, let go, share, keep, give, take... It defines ALL that is true about each of us.
I made what I hope will be lifelong friends in RAOK, and I write this post because one of those wonderful, warm, selfless individuals is ill. And despite my hopes and wishes that she may recover, it could be that she does not and that will be a terrible tragedy for such a young woman who was there for me and for many others.
We can all learn a massive amount from a couple of random acts of kindness, no matter how small or insignificant you think they are... and along the way, we might just make the world a nicer place.
