So I had an idea.
I read an article today about the top ten things Americans don't know about America, and a lot of it had to do with this sort of egotistical negative culture we've built up around ourselves. The article was written with a lot of love by a man who loves the United States but has lived elsewhere for a while now, which has allowed him to see the States from a different perspective. I think a lot of what he had to say in the article does ring true. As a culture, we shield our kids from seeing people make love, but it's okay for them to play war-based video games. Television shows like The Following and Hannibal are on network television and are lauded as gritty, risky, real and brilliant. Shows like Secret Diary of a Call Girl are only aired on premium channels during hours when small children are not likely to see them. We're afraid of love and we love fear and violence. I'm tired of that.
My mom also told me over the weekend about a film I have yet to see that sort of proves how good it is for a person to do nice things for other people, and how humans are sort of programmed to work together in certain situations. That gave me warm fuzzies.
So here's my idea. I have a homework assignment for you. Sometime on May 1 (since April 30 is almost over), do something nice for someone else. It can be as simple as holding the door open for the person behind you, or as complex as making a charitable donation to an organization you've been meaning to give to for some time but haven't yet, or anything in between. Smile at someone on the bus (not in a creepy way). Give the homeless guy on the corner a cup of coffee. Tell that guy at work that his new haircut looks snazzy. Email your mom just to say, "I love you." Just do something nice for someone. Put some positive energy into the universe. And then come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. Let's see how many nice deeds we can do in the course of a day.
You are wonderful, brilliant, amazing people capable of changing the world. Ready?
Go!