Every trip back to northeast Ohio, I always go with a group of friends and family to a wonderful restaurant which has been an institution in Cleveland Heights for decades. JB, as Jim Brennan is known, is the owner of this place which is considered family by the thousands who visit during the course of the year. The Kindness Bus and the new Blue Bird of Kindness has been parked “out front” on many occasions. JB supported many local charities and fundraisers in the neighborhood and always was quick to help whenever asked.
Sadly, JB was gunned down by three shotgun blasts by someone who probably never considered a single message on either of the two buses.
My heartfelt condolences to the entire Brennan family and the Cleveland Heights community.
***At posting time of this blog, five are in custody.

http://m.wkyc.com/topstories/article?a=12119509&f=2000

For the next three weeks in London, a dog named Happy will be my sidekick. This beautiful girl is a Norfolk Terrier and I have been asked to take care of her. She is the perfect stand-in for Bogart and will certainly help to generate conversations about kindness.
These next three weeks will certainly be filled with much Happy-ness.

While in Cleveland last month I talked with Stuart Muszynski. In 1994, he and his wife Susan, a clinical psychologist, saw the link between violence in the media, acts of teenage meanness, and violent acts in high schools and our society and decided to do something about it. Knowing teens can grasp abstract concepts that may impact them for decades, the Muszynskis created a program to build character and life skills for that group. Based on cognitive psychology, experiential seminars that have changed adults’ behavior, and medical data about the power of visualization and love, the couple created a multi-media, day-long seminar using lessons from history and current events.
The seminar was designed to help students understand the difference between being perpetrators, victims, bystanders or rescuers. The goal was to create a group of students who would choose to be rescuers and had been trained in the leadership skills needed to promote kindness and caring in their schools, families, workplaces and communities.
Please take the time to visit their website www.projectlove.org

I met Victoria Parker, a Trustee at Action for Kids in Durham, England. She encouraged me to visit this organization which helps young adults with disabilities.
A very knowledgeable and passionate, Ed Horner, who heads fundraising, gave me a tour of their facility. I was able to meet many of the young adults being helped by their programs.
Early on, they realized that disabled young people were being excluded from work experience opportunities, so they introduced a Work Related Learning program delivered initially in-house and then extended into schools and colleges. This helps these young adults in immeasurable ways.
Their website is: www.actionforkids.org

Stacey Healy-Dooney is one of One Million Acts of Kindness’ biggest cheerleaders. She sees the value in each individual being as kind as possible. She is involved in helping to make all of Collier County a kinder place. Stacey works very hard at creating kindness programs in various organizations, schools and Hodges University. I recently received an email from her, announcing an initiative she is helping to create:
“I was invited to join the Ambassadors meeting and discussed spreading kindness into our schools and community. After the meeting they passed out water to the evening students with Kindness Rocks The World attached to the bottle. All good things to come.  They are looking forward to meeting you next time you are in Naples.”

The River Wear snakes lazily through Durham in the northeast of England. It’s banks are great to walk along, to escape the bustle of this town center.
It has been a very nice escape from the day-in, day-out of riding a bicycle, but I return to London tomorrow to get right back up on that bike.

Exciting news!!
This winter, I will be pitching a children’s TV show. It will be about a dog, bus, bicycle and a guy who travel the world promoting kindness.
It will be called, The Blue Bird of Kindness.
Please tell everyone you know!!!