Posts Tagged ‘kindness’

Sometimes it feels like I was born in the wrong era. I’d love to have marched with suffragists at the turn of the last century, campaigned for better labor conditions in 1930s factories, or helped stage sit-ins on college campuses in the 1960s. Oh, I’ve participated in my share of marches and worked for many causes. But I always yearned to do something more dramatic … until an unlikely hero reminded me you don’t have to start a revolution to make a difference.

“Johnny” was exceptional … but not in a way that usually suggests leadership qualities. He had Down Syndrome, and working as a grocery bagger for a Midwestern supermarket chain was likely as far as his skills would take him.   Read the rest of this entry »

In 1967, polygrapher Cleve Backster connected electrodes to a house plant to measure psychogalvanic reflex (PGR)—how quickly moisture increased in the plant after it was watered. During the experiment, he became curious about what else the equipment might measure. For instance, could it detect the plant’s stress levels?

He dunked a leaf in a cup of hot coffee. Nothing. He pondered what to try next. Aha! he thought. I’ll burn the leaf. The instant the thought leapt into his mind, the needle on the machine jumped—just as it would for a human experiencing sudden stress. The plant seemed to sense Backster’s diabolical plan … and it was afraid.

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Yikes! Just caught a glimpse of my reflection in the bathroom mirror. This would not be a good day to ask “Who’s the fairest of them all?” The mirror would roar with laughter … then I’d throw something at it and wind up with seven years’ bad luck.

Beauty has never been one of my preoccupations, but it sparked an interesting discussion a couple of nights ago when my mother and I drifted into conversation about my friend, Marvene. Several years ago, Marvene married a family friend I’d known since junior high—one of my brother’s college roommates. Time passed, we became close, and one day I realized: My goodness, that girl is beautiful! Now, if Marvene’s having a bad day and doesn’t want to ask the mirror who’s fairest of them all, she knows she can call me for positive reinforcement.

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Recently I settled in to watch a DVD of my favorite reality cooking series. In an early episode, one of the contestants, already a successful chef, confided to the cameras that he’d decided to appear on the program to show his children he’d done something with his life.

His honest confession made me a little sad.

The idea that you have to appear on television—gain some measure of fame and public recognition—to validate your life explains everything from reality TV to … well … blogging. But it’s a flawed perspective.

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Twenty-four/seven media and the desperate need to fill airtime have spawned a new type of celebrity: people who are famous just for being famous. These pseudo-stars don’t have any discernible talent other than the ability to get attention, usually for being obnoxious. They never seem to think beyond how much play they can get for the next sound bite—which was evident when the Today show’s Al Roker asked one hot “reality” couple if they were proud of the embarrassing behavior that brought them notoriety. They didn’t seem to understand the question.

Despite evidence to the contrary, though, it is possible to touch lives in a positive way, to be remembered for something other than acting like a jerk. Ernie Harris was a perfect example.

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