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The past two weeks have been spent looking for a particular kind of action and being thankful for it. What kind? Plain, old fashioned courtesy.
Two Sundays ago, Mr. Joe at church needed to use the vacuum cleaner before me, which was fine. After it had been a while, i had cleaned a lot of other stuff and was down to just vacuuming, so i went to see if he was done.
He'd finished, but the vacuum was still up on the stage area. As i went up to grab it, Mr. Joe said, "I'll bring it down for you." When i responded that i was used to carrying such things, he said, "Not around me you don't! There's no reason for you to fetch and carry something when I'm here!"
It was such a kind, courteous gesture that i was very thankful and started watching for this kind of thoughtful behavior.
Yes, i am thankful to say, i found a good bit of it still around.
Several times, i was able to thank someone for holding a door for me, or i was able to do that for someone else.
More than once, someone handed off their grocery cart to me with a smile, or i was able to hand mine off to someone else.
One lady at the store who had a huge number of items in her cart allowed me, with my two items, to go ahead of her.
One of my clients insisted on parking his car out on the street so that i could pull up in the drive and thus not have to carry my equipment as far.
There were a couple of times while driving when someone let me out into traffic, and i was able to pay it forward, too.
My neighbor insisted on pulling the garbage can up to the house for me.
Someone gave me a flower when she noticed i was having a hard day.
#1 Son insisted on carrying my bag to the car for me when we were running errands to get his phone fixed.
Even better, i got to watch him step back and hold the door for someone, letting me know he learned courteous behavior.
Maybe, if we all start to practice again, and notice others doing these things and thank them for it, we can bring such kindness and courtesy back.
Please join us and our gracious and wonderful hostess Kristi from ThankfulMe, write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful.
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Today is:
Assassination of the Hero of the Nation Day/Prince Rwagasore Day -- Burundi (Commemorates the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore in 1961.)
Catoctin Colorfest -- Thurmont, MD, US (juried art festival, live music, food, and more; through tomorrow)
Clean the Crumbs Out of the Broiler Oven Day -- keep it working longer, and prevent a potential fire
Fall Astronomy Day -- Bringing Astronomy to the People (local astronomical societies, planetariums, museums and observatories sponsor public viewings, presentation, workshops, etc., to increase public awareness of astronomy and our amazing universe)
sponsored by The Astronomical League; find out what your local astronomy society is doing today, and go enjoy
Fell's Point Fun Festival -- Baltimore, MD, US (a festival in Baltimore's original seaport)
Fontinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (garlanding of fountains)
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction -- UN (with a focus on the second target of the Sendai Seven, "Reducing the Number of Affected People")
International Skeptics Day -- while there are skeptic organizations around the globe, there's no documentation of this being celebrated internationally; maybe the creator of the day wanted us to be skeptical about it?
Jack-O-Launch/Punkin Chunkin Colorado -- DeLaney Farm, Aurora, CO, US (with the official Punkin Chunkin Contest, divisions include trebuchet, compressed air cannon, catapult, human power, and youth; a free festival for the whole family)
John Peel Day -- UK (in honor of his last broadcast)
Louisiana Art & Folk Festival -- Columbia, LA, US (celebrating the rich folklore and music arts of Louisiana)
Marching Band Festival -- Blinn College, Brenham, TX, US (if you love marching bands, this is the place to be; 42nd annual, 36 high school bands participating, 3,500+ musicians, and a special performance by the Blinn College Buccaneer Band as well)
Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day -- find information about this disease here
Modern Mythology Day -- internet generated, go look up a few modern myths on truthorfiction.net or snopes and have a good laugh
Monster Myths by Moonlight -- Milford, KS, US (wear your costume and take a nature walk to learn the truth about such Halloween "monsters" as bats, snakes, spiders, vultures, etc.)
Mountain Glory Festival -- Marion, NC, US (celebrating the mountain heritage)
National Police Day -- Thailand (Wan Tamruat)
National Yorkshire Pudding Day
Navy Establishment Day -- US
Pine Barrens Jamboree -- Waretown, NJ, US (celebration of New Jersey Pinelands, with canoeing, nature walks, music, kids' activities, and more; free!)
Prater's Mill Country Fair -- Dalton, GA, US (a Southern festival of quality artists, craftsmen, music, and food; through tomorrow)
Prince Rwagasore Day -- Burundi
Roseland Cottage Fine Arts & Crafts Festival -- Woodstock, CT, US (one of the leading juried shows in New England; through tomorrow)
Runic Half-month Wyn (joy) begins
Sedona Arts Festival -- Sedona, AZ, US (celebration of visual, performing, and culinary arts, with proceeds going to student art programs and scholarships; through tomorrow)
St. Colman's Day (Patron of horned cattle, horses, and those who are to be hanged; Austria; against death by hanging and plague; a blessing of horses and cattle is still held at Melk on this day)
St. Edward the Confessor's Day (Patron of kings, those in difficult marriages, separated spouses; the English Royal Family)
The NILE (Northern International Livestock Exposition) -- MetraPark, Billings, MT, US (rodeo, trade show, horse clinics, and livestock sales; through next Saturday)
Train Your Brain Day -- spread around the internet by no one knows whom, but today is a good day to commit to doing what you can to keep your brain young
Universal Music Day -- celebrate music as our universal language
Anniversaries Today:
Founding of Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga. Tech), 1885
Cornerstone of the White House laid, 1792
US Navy is authorized by the Continental Congress, 1775
Birthdays Today:
Ashanti, 1980
Sacha Baron Cohen, 1971
Nancy Kerrigan, 1969
Kate Walsh, 1967
Kelly Preston, 1962
Jerry Rice, 1962
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers, 1961
Marie Osmond, 1959
Chris Carter, 1957
Sammy Hagar, 1947
Pamela Tiffin, 1942
Paul Simon, 1941
Melinda Dillon, 1939
Nan Mouskouri, 1934
Jesse Leroy Brown, 1926
Lenny Bruce, 1925
Margaret Thatcher, 1925
Nipsey Russell, 1924
Yves Montand, 1921
Cornel Wilde, 1915
L. L. Bean, 1872
Rudolf Virchow, 1821
Mary Hays "Molly Pitcher" McCauley, 1754
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"(Play), 1962
"Kukla, Fran and Ollie"(TV), 1947
Today in History:
Nero becomes emperor, 54
The Vandals and Alans cross the Pyrenees and appear in Hispania, 409
Rabbi Issac Abarbanel begins his exegesis on the Torah, 1483
Jonathan Swift publishes the last of Drapier's letters, 1724
Charles Messier discovers the Whirlpool Galaxy, 1773
First publication of the "Old Farmer's Almanac", 1792
George Washington lays the cornerstone of the "Executive Mansion" (White House), 1792
Founding of B'nai B'rith, 1843
The first arial photo taken in the US, from a balloon over Boston, 1860
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda & friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations, which begins the revival of it as an active and growing language, 1881
Greenwich, in London, England, is established as Universal Time meridian of longitude, 1884
Edward Emerson Barnard discovers D/1892 T1, the first comet discovered by photographic means, on the night of October 13–14, 1892
Ankara replaces Istanbul as the capital of Turkey, 1923
Premier of "Kukla, Fran, & Ollie", 1947
Fiji joins the United Nations, 1970
The first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, who was then working at the C.D.C, 1976
Ameritech Mobile Communications (now AT&T) launched the first US cellular network in Chicago, Illinois, 1983
End of the Lebanese Civil War, 1990
The 2010 Copiapó mining accident in Copiapó, Chile comes to an end as all 33 miners arrive at the surface after surviving a record 69 days underground awaiting rescue, 2010
In China, 23 elder members of the Communist Party of China call for ending the country's restrictions on free speech, 2010
Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, 2016
Yes, thankful for such kind and considerate people around us. Have a beautiful and great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat was such a great list and it's always great when we discover courtesy is alive and well. Have a fantastic weekend!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Mimi. Thank you for the reminder that if we are truly present, there are many examples surrounding us that confirm there are still people who are kind, who are generous, who are considerate of others. If we all pay attention, imagine how much good can be paid forward :)
ReplyDeleteIf I am in line with a basket full of items and someone stands behind me with only a couple of things, I do not let them go ahead. There are special checkout lanes for persons with 10 items or less and I wonder why they aren't in one of those lines. Since you were one of those people, tell me why you didn't go to special lane? I there wasn't one I would have let you go ahead of me also. But, well...just sayin'
ReplyDeleteBecause i was at a store where they do not have an express lane open at that time of day. There was only one lane open in the store.
DeleteWe are kind here and on the road too. There is so much hate going on in some of the big cities and we are more kind then ever. I've been noticing the kind people for a long time. It's just one more way of being thankful.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous and restful weekend. ♥
Yes Mimi, there are gracious and wonderful people still in this world. Not as many in the past but they are still there. I was brought up to respect and treat people as you would want to be treated. Unfortunately the young people of today just aren't doing it properly. Not them all but not enough of them. Have a wonderful Saturday my friend. See ya.
ReplyDeleteCruisin Paul
Oh I am sooo glad to hear about these considerate and kind people around you ~ strengthens my faith in people. Thanks,
ReplyDeleteHappy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
I think I can say with reasonable confidence that the only way you'll get me on a moonlit walk to learn about bats and spiders is if aliens take over my body.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'...
Those are great reasons to be thankful. If only everyone could be nice like this the world would be a better place.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be wonderful to see old fashioned courtesies return. So many of them were lost when the feminist movement got strong and women decided they didn't need "some man" to be holding doors etc for them.
ReplyDeleteExcellent list and such a good plan, i.e. be courteous when the opportunity presents itself and besides that being 'the proper' thing, it may spark within another, the idea of doing it themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis post is a great example of what the TToT can do--open our eyes to small gestures of kindness all around us. Thanks for sharing your observations! :-)
ReplyDelete