The Smallest Act Of Kindness

Have you ever had that feeling? Have you ever had that felling of despair? The feeling that no one is there? The feeling that you are all alone and no one wants to talk to you or if they actually care about you at all? The feeling of overwhelming depression and despair that consumes one to a point of insanity. Do you know that feeling? That point where you ask, “If I wasn’t here tomorrow would anybody care?... would anyone lose sleep?” (Would It Matter- Skillet). Leo Buscagila once said “too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of Caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around” I am sure many of us in this room have felt this way at one time or another, and I’m sure almost everyone in the world has or will at some point in life. But does it have to be this way? Isn’t their something that we can do? In all of the hustle and bustle of an urbanized environment I think those critical “Human Moments” make us who we are, the moments where two people who don’t know each other can stop, look at one another, and can show, even in passing, their love and caring for one another.
This is where my dream comes from, it comes from the depths of human emotions, the sorrow of human beings, the lost, the lonely, the depressed, the potential for human interaction, the longing for that human touch, that listening ear, those honest compliments. It comes from the heart, it comes from the soul, it comes from the spirit, it comes from the body, it comes from love.
It started on July 13, 2007 in Downers Grove my family and I were going out to Giordano’s pizza for my brothers 12th birthday. On our way to go see the 5th Harry Potter movie we saw a group of teenagers holding up a big poster board with duct tape lettering that said “FREE HUGS” At first, I was a little scared. I thought it was cool—but – I didn’t know—yes its true… I turned down that initial hug. But from then on, I decided that I should give away free hugs. It seemed like a perfect thing to do. I could spread love, peace and happiness to others just as those teenagers had spread it to me… even though I did not hug them. It provided the basis for my dreams of the future.
As I was hugging, people asked me if I was part of the Free Hugs Campaign. At the time, I had no idea what they were talking about. It turns out that there is a Free Hugs Campaign that was started in Sydney Australia. As soon as I got home that night, I watched the video. It was amazing. Now when people ask me about the free hugs campaign, I know all about it. I continued to give away free hugs and inform people about the free hugs campaign.
Around the same time that I started free hugging, I got into a bizarre but ever so common item… Duct Tape. I had a vague idea that I wanted to do something with duct tape in my life. I also knew that I wanted to give away free hugs. So now after over 3 years of thinking about how I can create a job out of making stuff out of duct tape, and giving away free hugs, I think I have come up with the answer.
My dream car has always been a Subaru Outback. So I was thinking, maybe I could live in a Subaru Outback. I could… I would get an air mattress in order to sleep on in the back of the car, I would get a really good sleeping bag, toiletries in order to stay clean and presentable, (who would want to hug a smelly guy?), a bike carrier for my 2 bikes, a power converter in order to charge my laptop and iPod, a top carrier in order to store all of the stuff and my merchandise. In order to get Internet I would have mobile Internet with the same company as my phone. I believe I would also need car and life insurance, just in case, but that’s the boring logistical stuff. Oh and the most important thing… A Microwave. Wouldn’t that be the life?
I would live in a car traveling around the country giving away free hugs to people who need them, making a living selling items that I make out of duct tape as well as humorous t-shirts. I would spread love peace and happiness. I would be trading my luxury for a different kind of luxury, The Human Life.
I would be there for those who needed that human touch, that smallest smile, that kind word, or honest compliment. I would be spreading joy around the country, not only around the country but to individuals, living in a car will allow me to have freedom where I settle for short amounts of time. It will allow me to be there for people who need me. Ones who are struggling with depression, and feelings of sorrow so deep, that they don’t know what to do with the feelings. I will be the one to deliver that one small act of caring that can not only “turn around a life” but can also save a life.
I was giving away free hugs one time and I allowed people to sign my shirt. And one person signed it “keep it up, your saving lives,” Think about it. How often we take for granted the small acts of kindness. The small things that we do every day. The smile, the wave, the touch, the kind word, the listening ear, the honest compliment, the smallest… the smallest act of kindness. The smallest act of kindness, which have the potential to turn a life around. Think about it. A life. You might not know it, but that smallest smile, that touch of love, that honest compliment, it does matter, it matters enough to save someone’s life so I challenge you. I challenge you to go out today and make an effort to show someone that you care. Show them that they are not alone. Not only will it always brighten their day, but it could save their life. You could save a life.