By GipsySoul, A Cape Ann Angel
I was recently inspired by a very cool experiment done by our friends at
HelpOthers. They invited folks who visit their website to contribute their best idea as to what they would do with an extra $100 if it were given to them to spread kindness in their community. Awesome ideas were posted in response.
It occured to me that it would be quite easy and fun to bring together 10 Cape Ann Angels to explore a few out-of-the-box ways to engage our community in a public brainstorming about what might be the most inspiring use of $100 to spread kindness on Cape Ann.
Here are a few possibilities as a starting point...
One strategy could be to have each of these 10 angels interview 10 people in the community about how they would use that $100, making sure we include a wide spectrum of folks (the mayor, a few city councilors, police officers, highschool students, artists, local merchants, random folks walking down the street etc.). Another (or additional) strategy could be to ask the leaders of a few local congregations and youth groups to participate in this experiment and ask their members what they would do with that $100. We probably could also ask the local paper to put that question in a free ad in the week end edition.
Whatever strategies we pursued, we would post the best ideas on our website and ask the local paper to publish them as well. We could also perhaps ask our friends at Help Others whether they might be able to set up a page for this Cape Ann experiment so that we could actually vote on each others' ideas.
Mind you, this is not a theoretical exercise. Cape Ann Angels just happened to have received a gift of $500 to give away as part of a flow fundingexperiment. This means that we are actually in a position to reward the top 5 best ideas that come out of our community brainstorming!
If you would like to join Cape Ann Angels and attend the in-person gathering where we will choose our strategies for planting the seeds of a local kindness movement, please email team@capeannangels.org
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Cape Ann Angels Spread Their Wings!
On May 29th an unexpected storm swept through Cape Ann. It was a storm of Cape Ann Angels. What is the effect of a storm such as this you may ask? Pure joy, love and excitement! Over twenty folks, the majority youth, gathered with folks from HelpOthers (www.helpothers.org), Yes! (www.yesworld.org) and the Kindness Center in Maine the UU Church vestry to figure out how to bring "random acts of kindness" to the Cape Ann area in a way that would bring smiles to people faces and warmness to the hearts.
Leaders from different local efforts that connect, inspire and empower young and old alike, joined forces in a way that inspired our area youth to go out and do "random acts of kindness." After a brief discussion and some strategic planning over pizza and soda pop we decided to go out and hand smiley face balloons and hand made flowers to unsuspecting folks. We also handed them a card that asked folks to pass the kindness forward.
Oh yes, the youth were a little hesitant at first and maybe a bit shy but once they made contact with their first suspect they wanted more. One youth went out and bought a couple of scratch tickets and handed them to two women sitting at an elderly complex. The women were surprised and chatted with the young man for a long while. As he walked away the joy they felt in having this contact kept them chatting to him as he walked down the block. He wondered when the chatting might stop.
An older youth went to one of the local grocery stores and recognized a young man she knew from grade school. She said she had bullied this poor guy to no end. It was never ending torture for him each time she bullied him. On this day, she went up to him and said, "Hello." He hesitated and stepped back, sure she was still a bully. She handed him the smiley faced balloon and apologized for all the agony she caused him in their younger days. He accepted the balloon with tears in his eyes.
One of the adults went to the Boulevard and came upon two men. She asked them if they'd like a flower. Upon accepting, one of the men mentioned his Mom had just passed away three weeks ago. He continued to talk about an illness that runs in the family and how he needed to be checked for it. As he told the story she watched him twist and turn the flower into a whole other look. It appeared he was releasing feelings he would not otherwise had a chance to get out.
A mother coming out the side door of a church from a narcotic anonymous meeting with a crying child was handed a balloon. The child and the mother walked down the street smiling. A man from a foreign country standing outside a coffee shop said it was the first time since he'd been in the US that someone came up to him and handed him a gift. One person from the group picked up trash along the way. She felt very humbled. A group of youth spoke to an elderly man sitting by himself at the fisherman's statue. He told them stories about family members lost at sea. As they spoke, one of the youth and man found out they were related when they mentioned the names of folks they knew. They had never met before this.
When some folks were asked if they wanted a balloon, they asked how much. Some even declined. But as we spread out over the different areas and saw the impact on folks with these balloons and flowers, we felt the difference we made in the short time it took to cover the area. When we gathered back at our central meeting spot to tell our stories, there was a different energy in the room. There was a different energy all around Gloucester's downtown area that evening. You can see pictures here.
Big smiles from the West Coast,
In the doing of "random acts of kindness," time, space and people were transformed into another dimension. A dimension of human kindness! I suspect there will be a flood of Cape Ann Angels around more and when you least expect it.
Barefoot Diva, Cape Ann Angel
Leaders from different local efforts that connect, inspire and empower young and old alike, joined forces in a way that inspired our area youth to go out and do "random acts of kindness." After a brief discussion and some strategic planning over pizza and soda pop we decided to go out and hand smiley face balloons and hand made flowers to unsuspecting folks. We also handed them a card that asked folks to pass the kindness forward.
Oh yes, the youth were a little hesitant at first and maybe a bit shy but once they made contact with their first suspect they wanted more. One youth went out and bought a couple of scratch tickets and handed them to two women sitting at an elderly complex. The women were surprised and chatted with the young man for a long while. As he walked away the joy they felt in having this contact kept them chatting to him as he walked down the block. He wondered when the chatting might stop.
An older youth went to one of the local grocery stores and recognized a young man she knew from grade school. She said she had bullied this poor guy to no end. It was never ending torture for him each time she bullied him. On this day, she went up to him and said, "Hello." He hesitated and stepped back, sure she was still a bully. She handed him the smiley faced balloon and apologized for all the agony she caused him in their younger days. He accepted the balloon with tears in his eyes.
One of the adults went to the Boulevard and came upon two men. She asked them if they'd like a flower. Upon accepting, one of the men mentioned his Mom had just passed away three weeks ago. He continued to talk about an illness that runs in the family and how he needed to be checked for it. As he told the story she watched him twist and turn the flower into a whole other look. It appeared he was releasing feelings he would not otherwise had a chance to get out.
A mother coming out the side door of a church from a narcotic anonymous meeting with a crying child was handed a balloon. The child and the mother walked down the street smiling. A man from a foreign country standing outside a coffee shop said it was the first time since he'd been in the US that someone came up to him and handed him a gift. One person from the group picked up trash along the way. She felt very humbled. A group of youth spoke to an elderly man sitting by himself at the fisherman's statue. He told them stories about family members lost at sea. As they spoke, one of the youth and man found out they were related when they mentioned the names of folks they knew. They had never met before this.
When some folks were asked if they wanted a balloon, they asked how much. Some even declined. But as we spread out over the different areas and saw the impact on folks with these balloons and flowers, we felt the difference we made in the short time it took to cover the area. When we gathered back at our central meeting spot to tell our stories, there was a different energy in the room. There was a different energy all around Gloucester's downtown area that evening. You can see pictures here.
Big smiles from the West Coast,
In the doing of "random acts of kindness," time, space and people were transformed into another dimension. A dimension of human kindness! I suspect there will be a flood of Cape Ann Angels around more and when you least expect it.
Barefoot Diva, Cape Ann Angel
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Stuck in a Rut
Posted by Cape Ann Angel BarefootDiva on Help Others - March 19, 2008
I was speaking with my sister on the phone last night and we got into a conversation about her work. She works in a market. I asked her how come her market doesn't have wheel chairs with baskets. She wasn't sure why but explained to me that when someone comes in the store in a wheel chair they offer personal assistance and a worker will walk around the store with them and shop, helping them to reach hard to get items. What a nice way for someone in that situation to connect with folks I thought: conversation and getting to know one another personally while shopping.
My sister ended up telling me she saw one of the regular wheel chair shoppers while driving home. He appeared to be caught on the train track as cars just rode by him in the slow rain that day. It was an area where the train would have stopped, and he would of been visible had there been a train at that particular time, thank heavens!
My sister stopped her car on the tracks, went to the guy and saw he had something hanging off the wheel of his chair that was caught on the rail. He looked at her and said, "Wow, you help me in the store and now you're helping me here. What would I do without you?"
My sister was angered when the cars passed her by and beeped as she helped this man. I told her I needed to tell this story because I was so proud of her and honored to be her sister.
I was speaking with my sister on the phone last night and we got into a conversation about her work. She works in a market. I asked her how come her market doesn't have wheel chairs with baskets. She wasn't sure why but explained to me that when someone comes in the store in a wheel chair they offer personal assistance and a worker will walk around the store with them and shop, helping them to reach hard to get items. What a nice way for someone in that situation to connect with folks I thought: conversation and getting to know one another personally while shopping.
My sister ended up telling me she saw one of the regular wheel chair shoppers while driving home. He appeared to be caught on the train track as cars just rode by him in the slow rain that day. It was an area where the train would have stopped, and he would of been visible had there been a train at that particular time, thank heavens!
My sister stopped her car on the tracks, went to the guy and saw he had something hanging off the wheel of his chair that was caught on the rail. He looked at her and said, "Wow, you help me in the store and now you're helping me here. What would I do without you?"
My sister was angered when the cars passed her by and beeped as she helped this man. I told her I needed to tell this story because I was so proud of her and honored to be her sister.
The Gift of Guitar Lessons
Posted by Cape Ann Angel Gipsy Soul on Help Others - February 2008
I have dreamed of playing guitar for years, and recently decided to try it out! While I was roaming around the web a few nights ago, looking for some "how to" books and simple songs for beginners to play, I discovered a fabulous website (www.justinguitar.com) developed by a young guitarist in London. The site is truly a dream come true for any beginner eager to learn. There are over 100 five minute long youtube videos where Justin covers different aspects of learning how to play. It turns out he is a really great teacher and I'm having the best time "taking his classes." It's kind of amazing to be sitting here in Cape Ann and learning how to play an instrument from someone who is several thousand miles away and whom you have never met!
The reason I'm writing about Justin though is that there is something special and inspiring about the way he approaches teaching... Here is what he says on his website about the extraordinary labor of love that he is making available to anyone who visits the site... "You will find lots of useful guitar lessons and information here - it's all free, but works on an 'honour system'. If you can afford to pay for the lessons then please donate for what you use so I can continue developing this site and making it rock. If you can't afford to donate it is no problem at all! :) " I just love it that he's choosing to just give his gifts away, trusting that his own needs will be taken care of one way or another... Justin does not know what huge difference he's made to my budding guitar adventures, but I plan to let him know about it with a smile card and a donation!
I have dreamed of playing guitar for years, and recently decided to try it out! While I was roaming around the web a few nights ago, looking for some "how to" books and simple songs for beginners to play, I discovered a fabulous website (www.justinguitar.com) developed by a young guitarist in London. The site is truly a dream come true for any beginner eager to learn. There are over 100 five minute long youtube videos where Justin covers different aspects of learning how to play. It turns out he is a really great teacher and I'm having the best time "taking his classes." It's kind of amazing to be sitting here in Cape Ann and learning how to play an instrument from someone who is several thousand miles away and whom you have never met!
The reason I'm writing about Justin though is that there is something special and inspiring about the way he approaches teaching... Here is what he says on his website about the extraordinary labor of love that he is making available to anyone who visits the site... "You will find lots of useful guitar lessons and information here - it's all free, but works on an 'honour system'. If you can afford to pay for the lessons then please donate for what you use so I can continue developing this site and making it rock. If you can't afford to donate it is no problem at all! :) " I just love it that he's choosing to just give his gifts away, trusting that his own needs will be taken care of one way or another... Justin does not know what huge difference he's made to my budding guitar adventures, but I plan to let him know about it with a smile card and a donation!
Being Kind to the Strangers in Our Own Bodies
Posted by Cape Ann Angel StarryNight on Help Others February 26, 2008
I have been having some health challenges lately, and it's been a big eye-opening and humbling experience. For one thing, it turns out that they are a whole lot of folks in my life that have been working very hard on my behalf for years without my ever showing them much appreciation or gratefulness! They are called Liver, Heart, Kidneys, Lung, Cells, Good Intestinal Bacteria etc. In my 30+ years on the planet, I can't say I have taken the time to learn a whole lot about them, how they work, what makes them happy etc. They basically have been Strangers to me!
Worse, I have totally taken these guys for granted and put them under a lot of pressure to perform under more and more challenging situations... stress, environmental pollution, too much work, too many sweets etc. And wow, have they been patient and willing to put through a lot! I really wish I had not waited until some of them started protesting to start paying attention to them, but as they say, better late than never. In any case, I'm now committed to listen to these folks and turn them into my best friends, and guess what? ...as with everyone else, it all starts with simple acts of kindness!
It's actually fun... try this out, and do something nice for your "strangers within" once in a while. Read a sufi poem to your heart, take your lungs for a spontaneous walk in the woods, serve your liver some of its favorite cleansing herbs, and give all of them a day off now and then by fasting on vegetable juices or light soup. It's truly amazing what happens when we start befriending these incredible beings that make up our miraculous inner world! It's definitely broadened my understanding of what it means to 'be the change one wants to see in the world."
You can't tag these folks with a smile card but trust me, they will de-fi-ni-te-ly pay it forward! Generosity is in their genes. Our bodies are a lot more sophisticated that our human systems... they are already organized as a gift-economy!
: )
I have been having some health challenges lately, and it's been a big eye-opening and humbling experience. For one thing, it turns out that they are a whole lot of folks in my life that have been working very hard on my behalf for years without my ever showing them much appreciation or gratefulness! They are called Liver, Heart, Kidneys, Lung, Cells, Good Intestinal Bacteria etc. In my 30+ years on the planet, I can't say I have taken the time to learn a whole lot about them, how they work, what makes them happy etc. They basically have been Strangers to me!
Worse, I have totally taken these guys for granted and put them under a lot of pressure to perform under more and more challenging situations... stress, environmental pollution, too much work, too many sweets etc. And wow, have they been patient and willing to put through a lot! I really wish I had not waited until some of them started protesting to start paying attention to them, but as they say, better late than never. In any case, I'm now committed to listen to these folks and turn them into my best friends, and guess what? ...as with everyone else, it all starts with simple acts of kindness!
It's actually fun... try this out, and do something nice for your "strangers within" once in a while. Read a sufi poem to your heart, take your lungs for a spontaneous walk in the woods, serve your liver some of its favorite cleansing herbs, and give all of them a day off now and then by fasting on vegetable juices or light soup. It's truly amazing what happens when we start befriending these incredible beings that make up our miraculous inner world! It's definitely broadened my understanding of what it means to 'be the change one wants to see in the world."
You can't tag these folks with a smile card but trust me, they will de-fi-ni-te-ly pay it forward! Generosity is in their genes. Our bodies are a lot more sophisticated that our human systems... they are already organized as a gift-economy!
: )
The Touch of a Hand
Posted by Cape Ann Angel BarefootDiva on Help Others - March 19
On Feb. 8th a friend of mine had a stroke at Lat 43 while having dinner. He passed away and I went to one of two services that where held for him here in Gloucester this past Sunday. Flint, a friend that was with him got up to say his piece about Butch at the service. Butch considered himself a flaming queen and had no problem letting folks know though there was no way to miss it. Flint is straight.
When Butch's arm went numb at the restaurant, he said to Flint, "I think I'm having a stroke." Flint thought it was the booze. Butch went down. Flint was there for him but his male ego did not let him bring himself to hold onto Butch in public in the manner Butch needed. A worker named Melissa held Butch's hand, held a cold rag to his head, and assured him he'd be okay. Her touch and loving way brought much relief to Flint as he felt helpless. Flint was able to be at Butch's side throughout the night at the hospital when Butch asked him to do so.
Flint went on vacation to one of the islands after Butch passed away. He was overcome by heatstroke while boating. He was sick as a dog and needed to get back to shore. The guide asked him if he was okay as they sailed in. He wanted to say no but said he'd make it. He wanted to ask her to help him but because he was a "man" and because of his ego he thought, "No, I can't do that, don't know her, she'll think I'm some sort of idiot." Just then, Melissa popped into his head.
As he thought of Melissa and what she did for Butch that night, he said he was so touched by her that it gave him the courage to ask this woman to hold his hand as they sailed in. He held her hand to his chest and it helped immensely in his vulnerability. Those who heard Flint tell this story were in tears at the church.
Melissa had touched Flint's soul in a way he'll never forget.
On Feb. 8th a friend of mine had a stroke at Lat 43 while having dinner. He passed away and I went to one of two services that where held for him here in Gloucester this past Sunday. Flint, a friend that was with him got up to say his piece about Butch at the service. Butch considered himself a flaming queen and had no problem letting folks know though there was no way to miss it. Flint is straight.
When Butch's arm went numb at the restaurant, he said to Flint, "I think I'm having a stroke." Flint thought it was the booze. Butch went down. Flint was there for him but his male ego did not let him bring himself to hold onto Butch in public in the manner Butch needed. A worker named Melissa held Butch's hand, held a cold rag to his head, and assured him he'd be okay. Her touch and loving way brought much relief to Flint as he felt helpless. Flint was able to be at Butch's side throughout the night at the hospital when Butch asked him to do so.
Flint went on vacation to one of the islands after Butch passed away. He was overcome by heatstroke while boating. He was sick as a dog and needed to get back to shore. The guide asked him if he was okay as they sailed in. He wanted to say no but said he'd make it. He wanted to ask her to help him but because he was a "man" and because of his ego he thought, "No, I can't do that, don't know her, she'll think I'm some sort of idiot." Just then, Melissa popped into his head.
As he thought of Melissa and what she did for Butch that night, he said he was so touched by her that it gave him the courage to ask this woman to hold his hand as they sailed in. He held her hand to his chest and it helped immensely in his vulnerability. Those who heard Flint tell this story were in tears at the church.
Melissa had touched Flint's soul in a way he'll never forget.
More than Ducklings
Posted by Cape Ann Angel Little Cabbage on Help Others -- February 25, 2008
It was mid-summer and my father had taken me to boston to see the ducklings in the public gardens. we had spent most of the day just playing on the ducks, running around, anything an 8 year old would enjoy doing. More than anything I wanted to go on the swan boat in the pond where the little ducklings were lead to by their mother. The line was long, and it was a little after noon, I was hungry and hot and was starting to get a little cranky. The boat was coming back and the line finally started to move forward! I excitedly looked around, silently saying to all around me " I'm going to ride the swan boat!" I saw to my left, on the other side of the chain linked barrier, a mother pushing her baby in a carriage. The baby had thrown his bottle out of the carriage, and started to cry. The line kept moving to board the boat which had arrived at the dock, and there was just enough room for my dad and I to board. In that moment I ducked under the chain, grabbed the bottle and ran it to the mother. At this point, my father had stepped out of line to see where I was running to. The mother thanked me, and I walked back to my dad. He saw what I did and gave me a hug, then regretfully said that we had missed the boat and it would be a long wait for the next one. I looked at the boats, then the line, and finally at my dad with a big smile and suggested we get ice cream instead.
I learned that day that nothing feels better than doing something good for someone else. No matter how small or big it may be.
It was mid-summer and my father had taken me to boston to see the ducklings in the public gardens. we had spent most of the day just playing on the ducks, running around, anything an 8 year old would enjoy doing. More than anything I wanted to go on the swan boat in the pond where the little ducklings were lead to by their mother. The line was long, and it was a little after noon, I was hungry and hot and was starting to get a little cranky. The boat was coming back and the line finally started to move forward! I excitedly looked around, silently saying to all around me " I'm going to ride the swan boat!" I saw to my left, on the other side of the chain linked barrier, a mother pushing her baby in a carriage. The baby had thrown his bottle out of the carriage, and started to cry. The line kept moving to board the boat which had arrived at the dock, and there was just enough room for my dad and I to board. In that moment I ducked under the chain, grabbed the bottle and ran it to the mother. At this point, my father had stepped out of line to see where I was running to. The mother thanked me, and I walked back to my dad. He saw what I did and gave me a hug, then regretfully said that we had missed the boat and it would be a long wait for the next one. I looked at the boats, then the line, and finally at my dad with a big smile and suggested we get ice cream instead.
I learned that day that nothing feels better than doing something good for someone else. No matter how small or big it may be.
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