Songs of Freedom

This is about something a stranger gave me without her realizing it - a sense of freedom.

I was working at a telemarketing firm about four years ago and I placed a call to a woman who ran an animal rescue business in Wyoming for seven counties. Yes, seven. And we started talking about the services offered and she didn't qualify, but we kept talking.
She was in her late fifties. She had beaten cancer and still smoked. She had two grown sons, both married, who owned motorcycles. They also owned a business doing car alarms and stereo systems.
At this point I asked her if she rode and she said, "No. Well, not those things." She was referring to horses. She loved riding horses, had been doing it almost her whole life. She loved just going out into the plains for hours.
Then the coversation turned towards the freedom of doing just that. The stars being your blanket and freedom of doing what you want. She instead started telling me all of the difficulting involved in a life like that. You have a beat up pickup, your face is always windburned, your hands are calloused and you sleep outside every night.
Now from sitting in a cube for eight hours a day without getting much exercise this sounded unimgineable. The idea of self-direction and freedom was profound and something I had not thought of or experienced in my life at that time.
The phone call ended and I went outside and looked at the sunset. I thought to myself that if I didn't have the financial responsibilities I had, then I would drive out to Wyoming and say thank you to that woman for that gift. I still have the urge to find her although it would be impossible now.
But to taste that boundless possibility was the beginning of something that has led me down a road to find what I enjoyed and what freedom really means.

Helping an Unknown

I post some of my political thoughts on a community website. I noticed that no one would leave comments about them, ever. I had read the articles of others and found one woman in particular who seemed adept as communicating her point. So after posting my most recent article, I solicited her help in critiquing it. Now, please keep in mind that the website hold anonymous membership and there was no previous knowledge between this person and I prior to my request.
And without knowing me in the slightest she set about analyzing my article and provided me with practical and detailed methods of improving my writing. I was ever so grateful and thought, wow, she had done this for a complete stranger.
So this is my thanks to her.

Across the pond

If you live across the pond (the Atlantic) here is a blog I stumbled across who raised money for poverty by running a marathon. Take a look.

The Four Chaplains

This is the story of the Four Chaplains. The following was taken from the website dedicated to these fine human beings:


A convoy of three ships and three escorting Coast Guard cutters passed through "torpedo alley" some 100 miles off the coast of Greenland at about 1 a.m. on February 3, 1943. The submarine U-223 fired three torpedoes, one of which hit the midsection of the Dorchester, a U.S. Army troopship with more than 900 men on board. Ammonia and oil were everywhere in the fast-sinking vessel and upon the freezing sea.

The four Chaplains on board, two Protestant pastors, a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi, were among the first on deck, calming the men and handing out life jackets. When they ran out, they took off their own and placed them on waiting soldiers without regard to faith or race. Approximately 18 minutes from the explosion, the ship went down. They were the last to be seen by witnesses; they were standing arm-in-arm on the hull of the ship, each praying in his own way for the care of the men. Almost 700 died, making it the third largest loss at sea of its kind for the United States during World War II. The Coast Guard Cutter Tampa was able to escort the other freighters to Greenland. Meanwhile the cutters Comanche and Escanaba, disobeying orders to continue the seach for the German U-Boat, stopped to rescue 230 men from the frigid waters that night.

Unknown friend

WordWhiz said...
Last night, my daughter discovered she'd been scheduled to work today. She had specifically requested that she only be scheduled only on weekdays when her friend was working, because this friend is her ride to work. I called a woman who used to attend my church. I barely know this woman, but she had kindly responded to my plea for help to drive my son to and from school back in January, while his father was on vacation for two weeks. She not only provided transportation, but was just delightful to him and they became quite friendly. She even dropped a note off at his school recently, for the principal to pass along to him. Very sweet. She quickly agreed to drive drive my daughter to work.

Little things...

Even small things mean a lot some times:

Anvilcloud said...
When I got stuck in a rural snowbank tis winter, I appreciated the lift that snowmibillers gave me. I won't be able to reciprocate in kind but in spirit.

Sojourning Crow said...
When I totalled my car a complete stranger stopped to flare and flag cars around it and me. I never got his name and he left without me being able to thank him.

Towards the end of a long-term relationship my ex- and I were very much estranged from eachother. One day I was doing the dishes and she just came up behind me, put her arms around me and squeezed. My heart melted. It was the smallest thing that meant so much.

Unseen Kindness

Canada's World tour of Kindness can be found here.

Also the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation can be found at www.actsofkindness.org.
They are based in Denver and have stories on their website.

There is also The Foundation for a Better Life
where you can tell the story of someone who has touched you life.

Or you can leave it here and I will post it.

I guess my kindness thought for today is that we are not alone in thinking that there is good in people and the world.

It is not weakness to be kind. Though that seems like a forgotten lesson.

Huda Ba'haroon post this:

'Just want to share a quote on kindness : "I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." - William Penn'

Simple Things

Here are some things that make me smile:

1) My best friend's wife will randomly send me garbled emails typed by my goddaughter, signed with love.

2) Going to my friend's daughter's Spring Concert.

3) Working at a deli and meeting all the fine folks that come in.

4) Going drumming with all my friends til my hands hurt.

Do the same for another, Part II

I was in the supermaket a fews days after the incident described below and I only had one or two things to get. I got on line behind a couple with a whole shopping cart full of stuff.

They noticed that I had only a few items and offered to let me go ahead of them. I thanked them and they s/d to me, "Just do the same for someone else some day." Struck by the complete randomness and signifigance of the comment, I turned around and related my previous encounter with the same phrase.

I find it amazing that people want so much to pass along good in the world.

Do the same for another, Part I

One snowy night I was drving home when I noticed a car stuck on the other side of the road. As I passed I noticed it was too young boys trying to get their car back on the road and unable to do so due to the incline of the embankment.

The car had been tricked out and could not get the wheels to move slow enough to generate any traction. Even starting in third!!

After about an hour or so of trying various means to manufature an escape we placed a 2x4 under their front wheel and they made it out.

I told then in the rejoyous moment that they should do the same for someone else someday.

Felix

I am a big fan of Felix the Cat.

Today's pic:

Heart still beating.

I had to call Hawaii for business once and a man answered who sounded life he was out of breath. I asked him if it was a good time to speak with him and he responded, "Well, I woke up this morning and my heart was still beating, so it's a good time, sure."

I just thought that was really cool.