A Beginning, Of Sorts.

"Nothing is a coincidence. I have a new goal. One million acts of kindness. Accomplishable by age 70."-- andyoureuglytoo via Twitter, 9.17.09, 3:04 PM

Everything has a way of falling into place. Maybe it doesn't happen the way you want. But it happens the way you need.
My mother and I meet for lunch whenever I am on campus. Usually it's our only chance to get to talk, find out how life is for the other and generally just bullshit.
This particular day, however, my mother wasn't locked in her windowless basement office.

So I left her a note:
"I was here. You weren't. Thought mommies were supposed to feed their baby punkins. This is lame. Lame, I say!"

On my trek into a nearby neighborhood (as I am not officially a student anymore at the University, I'm not allowed to park on campus) my mother called. She wanted me to come back. I didn't particularly feel like it, but free food is free food. So, I found a quarter and parked at one of the meters by the student union. (I found one with time left so I could maximize my staying potential.)
After lunch I went to retrieve my car.
A man with a sign proclaiming:

Onemillionactsofkindness.com

(and his dog) were passing out stickers that proudly proclaimed the same slogan.
At first I was skeptical. My mind categorized him into "Christian Nutcase."
But BOB is not a religion pusher.
He travels America with a simpler goal:

He wants to promote kindness.

***

In some fashion or another, I've always wanted to save the world. Yet, I was always too busy looking at the big picture that I lost my sense of self.
Somewhere along the way, I became mired in the sludge that is the human existence. I became mean, vindictive, spiteful, arrogant and hateful, among other things. I knew it too. Which only increased my self-loathing.
College was a terribly dark, lonely period of my life. I lost all my high school friends and was too miserable to make new ones.
Then I directed one of the most amazing productions I have ever seen and life began to change.
I could spend time recounting that period, but if you're reading this, you probably either A.) lived through it with me or B.) have heard enough about it.
After Dog Sees God, I was sucked into a new world, a new life.
Everything I knew and loved was stripped away. I quit my job, quit doing theatre, quit being who I was.

And it was glorious!

I spent the summer being drunk, stoned, inebriated, floating or tripping of one sort or another.
Without trying to or realizing it, I lost 30 pounds. I smiled more. I learned to say "I love you"-- and mean it.
My whole outlook on life changed.
I still have much to work on, but now I'm putting my life back together. Examining. Reassembling. Tossing out that which doesn't work.
As a part of it, I've been attempting to do some kindness. Daily.
Smiling at people. Looking them in the eye. Complimenting them. Helping. Making real connections, even if just for a moment.
This world can and will be a better place. I will be a better man.
Yes, I'm still focused on the "big picture." But I can work towards kindness every day.
I am a warrior. Kindness is my weapon.
This is going to be the chronicle of how I am following the teachings of BOB and attempting to do 50 acts of kindness a day. This will be a study of the ramifications on myself and the world around me.
Hopefully, I can reach 1,000,000 by seventy.

Today's Acts of Kindness
1. Donating $5.00 to BOB and his cause
2. Giving change to a homeless man who needed it for the bus. (Does this count? He's probably using the money to buy drugs.)
3. Complimenting the woman's glasses at Walgreens.
4. Getting a sticker for Natalie
5. Saying "I love you" to my brother
6. Offering to sweep the classroom so my professor wouldn't have to
7. Offering to help a senior citizen who was carrying a large bag of dog food.
8. Giving a "present" to Jeff.
9. Refilled TJ's Q Tip Container
10. Sidewalk Chalk!
11 Giving a "present" Maya.
12 Picking up trash while on a walk

Acts of Kindness Done for Me
TJ cleaned the livingroom after my party.