This is my first call to arms.
We have seen terrible times recently in our Earth's history. In the last decade, we have seen some of the greatest atrocities committed on mankind, both natural and man made. I watch people a lot. Sometimes, I sit in the park, just watching the world go by. In this hobbyistic innocent observation of the human race, I have followed a trend over the last 6 years.
To understand the trend, you must first understand the method. You can learn a lot by looking someone in the eye. Sometimes, you can even know what they're thinking. Look at the expression of the eye. You can tell if someone is happy or sad, contemplative or introspective, and once you get to know what you're doing, you can tell if they have a song stuck in their head.
Having said that, you learn empathy for the people you watch. You feel their pain, share in their joy.
Over the last 6 years, I have seen people growing increasingly scared, worried, angry, and depressed. Make no mistake, this wears on us all. Whether we notice it or not, when you see it everywhere you look, it gets to you. Even if you maintain an optimistic point of view, you still feel the pain of those around you. It is a toxic sentiment that is plaguing us all.
It is in these troubled times that we need love most. We need to share the love. We need to spread the love.
I stated earlier that this is my call to arms. We can all fight the good fight. What I'm talking about is simple. We have simple weapons at our disposal… weapons that are more powerful than pain. Our greatest weapon is our humanity. The human race has a great capacity for good will and kindness. I believe that we can flood our streets with charity, and wash out the pain.
Don't assume that charity entitles cash donations. The best thing anyone can donate is time. You can end up with lots of money, but you only have so much time. It's not hard, when it only eats up a few seconds at a time.
Hold a door for someone. Smile at a child. Greet people as you pass by them, with a smile. Shovel a neighbor's sidewalk. It's the little things that add up. Dennis Leary once said "Happiness comes in small doses…" In a way, he was right. Think about it. Suppose you've had a long day at work, and you get a flat tire on the way home. What if someone stopped to ask if you needed help? Even if you don't accept, you still think, "That was cool of them to stop…" and then you grudgingly go back to putting on the spare, suddenly ignoring all the people that are laughing at your misfortune. You might even bring it up with your family when you get home.
Consider this: your family just heard you talk about some random stranger that just did something nice for you. How compelled do you think they'll be to do something nice for someone else, in turn? How compelled will you be?
Charity comes in all forms, folks. In this era of bad feelings and pain, the simple charity is the most important.
What did you do to make someone's day a little brighter today?