When I was young, which wasn’t yesterday but rather more than 50 years ago (yikes), a trusted friend of mine had a signature response to whenever I dared to complain or whine, the woe-is-me sort of thing, and the advice was this – “what are you going to do about it”. I wasn’t always in the right frame of mind to receive those words. Sometimes, we need a moment to lick our wounds, to catch our breath before we go looking for solutions. We seem to have become a society of complainers; not everyone, I realize, but the loud ones certainly have complaints with seldom any suggested solutions. I’m not usually an advice-giving sort of person, at least not until I’ve given myself a healthy dose of “what are you going to do about it”.
To buoy myself up against the misery of the masses, I look for shining lights, even the small single candle with its faint flicker, that reminds me of the strength of our collective character, of our resilience to oppression and greed. I’ve spoken of Steve Hartman before, the American broadcaster on CBS who brings his collection of stories of ordinary people who do extraordinary things to make the world a bit nicer, a bit kinder and gentler (www.instagram.com/Stevehartmancbs). Stories like 103-year-old Virginia Oliver who was still lobster fishing off the coast of Maine with her son, in her 95th season when Steve reported, with no plans to give it up. Or Larry Kingsley who lost his wife to Alzheimer’s disease and during her illness he played his trumpet on a street corner with her sitting nearby as he raised money for research, vowing to keep it up “until the disease is just a memory”. Or Xavier Jones who walked six miles to attend his grade eight graduation when his grandfather’s car broke down. Xavier’s determination to “show up” caught the attention of LaTonia Collins Smith, Harris-Stowe State University President, who rewarded Xavier for his tenacity with a full scholarship to the university after he completed high school. LaTonia explained that all too often admission is granted on standardized testing scores, yet here was a young man, a good student, who proved he was more than a test score. Or Steve’s program he records with two of his children, Kindness 101, that teachers are now sharing with their students and adopting the sensibility they witness as they strive to do good whenever the opportunity arises. Steve undoubtedly brings an exhale of joy to countless people, including me.
Sam Bentley is another who shares his “good news for planet Earth” as he brings the stories of innovations that strive to get it right in terms of sustainable living; stories such as an air conditioner in India that uses no electricity or turning agricultural waste into eco-friendly fabric without the use of toxic and harmful chemicals or the underwater forest that is helping to grow new coral to help natural reefs who are struggling to survive. He is a climate activist who creates content on social media platforms to inform the rest of us (www.instagram.com/sambentley). He lives in Birmingham, England while he inspires millions of people with the news he shares about solutions for our ailing climate. His book, Good News, Planet Earth, reveals the developments that are happening to “combat global warming, pollution, deforestation, the use of wasteful products and threats to our diverse wildlife.” Sam has an infectious smile, and his positive attitude is inspiring.
So, I repeatedly ask myself what I am going to do about it when I hear of children showing up at my daughter’s school in winter with bare hands – I knit them mittens. What am I going to do about the man standing in the rain at the grocery store asking for support – I share what cash I have with him and a warm hello. What am I going to do about the long waits as road crews blast stone and work to repair the washout from the flooding more than a year ago on the only road between me and services I require – I wave at the flagman or role my window down as I pass and shout good morning to him. What am I going to do about the dog waste I come upon when I am out walking – I retrieve the bag from my pocket and pick it up. None of those things are going to change the world, but just maybe they will change my day and hopefully the day of someone else for the better.
wendistewart@live.ca
