“We don’t talk about that kind of stuff,” he said to his son.
A family of 5 walking past The Kindness Bike held the interest of the son of about twelve years of age. His teenage sisters were interested as well, but didn’t express themselves verbally. The mother was silent as the father tried his best to usher his family to the car as quickly as he could. The son chose to read aloud, the 2 signs; “Boys should never hit girls” and “Be a man, don’t raise a hand. Stop Domestic Violence! “We don’t talk about that kind of stuff,” the father said, to my amazement. Once in the car, the father sped off, only to get stuck at a long line of traffic in the turning lane just out of the parking lot. I of course rode the couple of hundred feet to be in full view once again as the father had to wait for the light to change as the boy in the car looked my way and continued to express himself. The light changed and I watched as the long line of traffic in the turning lane started moving, but not fast enough, the father was about to get stuck first in line at the light again. He chose to run the fully red light!!
I don’t know if the father was in a hurry or if he just didn’t want to see the signs on The Kindness Bike for a third time, but one thing is for sure, he had better start talking to his family about important issues which can affect his children or there won’t be any room left under the rug for him to sweep everything he chooses not to discuss.
Changing my inner tubes so many times yesterday, I inadvertently took the wrong brake pad apart instead of using the quick release on the opposing side. I rode today’s 40 miles with a dragging brake pad making the ride seem like 100 miles. Needless to say, I will visit a bike shop tomorrow.
Don “Red Dog” Gardner has been doing his best at what he does for the good of the Lawrence, Kansas community for the past 27 years. A former Marine, he started an exercise program for local high school athletes that has grown into several free classes a week that thousands in the community take part attending. I was one of the lucky guests today. Thank you Red Dog for letting me ride The Kindness Bicycle for all to see.
Doctors seem to take a big interest in One Million Acts Of Kindness and The Kindness Bicycle Tour, I’ve talked with nearly a hundred over the past few years. Today I met Doctor John Listerman who had read the article in The Lawrence Journal-World about One Million Acts Of Kindness. He has spent the last several years, caring for the indigent and has seen first hand the effects of kindness on others. He and I talked about leading with a kind heart and helping, not hurting one another, To him, hands are meant to heal. What a beautiful way to live one’s life. Our conversation reminded me of a meeting I had nearly 3 years ago, in preparation for heading out on the road, I talked with Stephen G. Post PhD, who is now Director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook. He wrote “Why Good Things Happen to Good People.” This book should be read by everyone because there are huge health benefits to being kind. If its teachings and beliefs were embraced by everyone, no one would ever lay a hand on another human being.
Never before have I seen such excitement, prior to a visit at a Domestic Violence Center. I had
two contacts by board members to see if The Willow Center would work into the schedule of The Kindness Bicycle Tour, I was also sent an advance email, formally inviting me to a luncheon meeting at the Willow Center. I never could be made to feel more welcome. These women get it! There was such great interest as we met “town hall” style and brainstormed how our two organizations could do our work more efficiently for the betterment of those we serve. One of the women talked of when women call the crisis line that she helps by focusing on the many problems presented, by solving them one at a time, giving the caller great hope in seeing her problems being solved in this fashion.
With a full day planned, I hit the ground riding, on an early morning ride of the Kindness Bicycle, to get exposure from a captive audience of rush hour commuters, stopped at a very busy intersection. Before I made it out of the parking lot, a local
It didn’t take too long for the conversations to start today. “Outstanding, outstanding, outstanding!” were the words that caught my interest as I rode The Kindness Bicycle past a small group of women out for a morning walk. Seeing the sign which reads, “Boys should never hit girls” was all it took. “If you teach kids not to hit when they are young, they stand a better chance not to hit when they are adults,” Cathy, one of the women said. Dee and Bailey, a mom and daughter were busy taking pictures of The Kindness Bus when I rode up on The Kindness Bicycle, it didn’t take long before they showed great interest in The Kindness Bicycle Tour as well, for reasons all too common.
