This week’s Kind World piece is a little different from the usual ones we do. I’m experimenting with adding more sound in there. Tell me which style you like better - just interview with music, or do you like the sound effects in there too?
I’m torn between the two and would love all of your feedback!
-Nate
Boston winter’s can be rough. And anyone in Boston remembers the winter of 2010 - snow storms regularly, ice buildup, frigid temperatures. Elizabeth Ryan remembers it well. Not only because of the terrible weather, but because of a story of that came as a result of it, which to this day, is one of her favorite stories to tell.
Probably about a year and a half ago, I think it was February 2011 [2010-2011 winter], we were having a horrible winter in Boston. It felt like we had snow storms every single day, everything was constantly covered in ice - it was brutal. There was one time that my car just totally stuck. The tires were smoking, they just weren’t going anywhere. I tried salting it and sanding it and, just, nothing was working. So eventually I called AAA and it looked like he had a tow truck. And he got out and literally said, “Oh you’re really stuck. There’s nothing I can do with this truck.” And I was sort of hoping he would then say “Well, I’ll get another truck” or “I’ll call somebody who has the right equipment.” But he didn’t - he got in his car and just said sorry and left. And I started just sobbing and trying to chip away at the ice again, um, and this woman walked by and saw me and stopped and said, “Can I help you?” and she looked at me like she was not going to leave me alone. So she called her father who was nearby. A few minutes later, this little older man drove up in his car, jumped out - he was short, had a white beard. Kind of reminded me of Santa Claus. He was very full of energy. Immediately [he] sort of set to work in trying to get my car undone - he sent me to get a bigger shovel, more sand. And for 20 minutes just worked magic on my car, between the three of us, and eventually got it unstuck. And the fact that these people cared enough about somebody they didn’t know to stop, it just meant a huge amount to me, and I think that when something like that does happen it leaves such an impression that it affects more than just the immediate situation itself.
It took me two years to save for and justify making the investment in an iPad … I am a single Mom and work for a nonprofit. As my 13 year old had reminded me “an iPad is a want, not a need.” So I truly felt I had hit the jackpot when I finally bought my iPad last January. What a world! Words with Friends! Netflix Movies and TV Shows! Listening Live to WBUR at work! Books! magazines! Recipes!
Whole. New. World.
And then one day a few weeks ago I got home from work and went to take my iPad out of my backpack. Not there. Weird, I must have left it at work. But I could not find it at work the next day, either. I Searched high. I searched low. Tore the house apart. Tore the office apart. Looked in the washing machine, oven, the garbage and the fridge. Had colleagues help look in filing cabinets and under desks.
Gone. Nothing. Just Totally Gone.
And then a week later, more mad at myself than anything else for being careless with something expensive that I treasured, I pulled into my parking lot and had a thought. I wonder if the bakery distribution center next door found an iPad? Maybe it dropped out of my backpack, or fell from the car. I walked up to the door and knocked and a woman who I had said hello to many times before but whose name I did not know said, almost as if she had been expecting me
“Oh, there you are. I was going to come look for you today. Last week someone left an iPad inside our front door. I am not computer literate but it had an apple on it, and one of our driver’s works at the Apple store on the weekend. He said he would take it to work and figure out who owned it, and he did. He just called a while ago and said your name and your address right here in this building. He said as soon as he was done his delivery route he was going to bring it to you.”
And he did. So, thank you Laurel Lee and Jay from Martin’s Famous Pastry Shop in Woburn, Massachusetts. I am in awe of and grateful to you both for your kindness, honesty and the huge effort you made on behalf of me - a stranger. Your loving hearts bring me more happiness than my iPad ever did. :-)
Post written by Liz Desmarais
Christine P. had just taken her son, Michael, to the pediatrician to get his shots. Understandably, Michael left the doctor’s office quite upset. So to cheer him up, his mother decided to take him to the NECCO Candy Factory in Revere, Mass. But when they arrived, it started raining. Buckets. And to make matters worse, the store was closed. It seemed that an effort to cheer up her son had been foiled by nature and circumstance; that is, until a stranger stepped in.
Transcript:
About a year ago my son just had a bunch of shots and he was feeling pretty lousy. So I decided to cheer him up by bringing him to the Necco factory in Revere, MA. Well, we pulled up to the empty parking lot and right then the sky opened up and it was pouring rain, and we decided to run towards the factory store. I was so focused on getting out of the rain that I didn’t realize the store had closed. So here I was - I had my son who was really upset, the store was dark. And that’s when this well dressed man exited the building just from a few doors down from where we were standing, and he came up to us and said hello. And I said hello back. And at that point in time he informed me that the president of Necco had watched us, and he pointed reverently to the sky above him and said that the president was sorry, that the store was closed, and that he was instructed to provide us with any candy we were interested in. He left us, and we just stood there not really sure what to expect, and a few minutes later he came back with two bags filled with Necco candy. My son was beaming and I was completely blown away, and here it is a year later, whenever I see a Necco product, I always smile.
About three weeks ago I was on a bicycle ride around the Willamette River in my new home state of Oregon. I’d decided, since I’m soon coming up on my 60th (WHAT!!? when did THIS happen) birthday, I wanted to get out and be active for as long as I still could.
Coming around the bend on mile 8, cutting through the parking lot of the River View Hotel, a beautiful 5-Star Hotel on the banks of the Willamette and while adjusting my backpack, I lost my balance and crashed. Hard. Lying on the concrete, bike on top of me, I couldn’t decided if I was more hurt or embarrassed. A van stopped behind me, a young man inside asked if I needed help. I did. I said, “no, I”m okay” because I’m only 59 yrs old for gosh sakes. I’m fine. Then I looked down at my leg. Blood and scrapes. Not to mention the cracking noise I heard upon landing. Uh, yes, I guess I could use a band aid and something to wipe the blood away.
I got up and sat on the wall in the driveway while waiting for him and that’s when I felt my elbow. SAW my elbow. Broken. Five times larger than normal. Andrew, (this was the name on his nametag) came out with wipes and bandages to help clean me up. He brought my bike to the front of the hotel (in between still being the perfect employee, greeting guests of the hotel), sat me down in the lobby of this grand place (there goes the neighborhood, you should have seen me) and brought me a bag of ice and a towel to wrap it in. Like I said, all this in between parking cars and greeting guests.
I was soon picked up by a friend, I thanked Andrew through my shock and am now 3 weeks into recovery. A few days later, I sent an email to the manager of the hotel commending them on such a steller employee and kind and caring young man. I never heard back from the manager and I’m hoping he didn’t see Andrew’s kindness as slacking off on his job as doorman. I’ll have to get back there to make sure he still has his job.
Thank you Andrew. You are my hero and I don’t know what I would have done without you.
Janis Reid
(image via Life Cycle Adventures)
Kristin Z. worked at the Natick Mall in Massachusetts during the Winter of 2005. Christmas was just around the corner and when you work retail during the busiest week of the year, customers can get snappy, and workers can become exhausted. But one customer turned the craziness of the season completely around. And now, 7 years later, the story is told.
Transcript:
I never had a good Christmas in retail. It was always a miserable experience. Managers quit or somebody got sick or was on disability, and for this one particular year I had bronchitis. We were understaffed, we were overworked. There was one manager out on disability, and one was out on maternity leave. And we were just…we were overworked, and we were tired and we were busy. And it was early on a Sunday morning so it had to have been really close to Christmas, and someone at the register had rung something up wrong for this gentleman, or had given him the wrong change - there had been an error. And when I went up to fix it I said, “I’m really sorry. We just haven’t had our caffeine yet today.” And he could probably tell none of us wanted to be there, because at that point in the season you’re done - you’re fried. All you’re waiting for is December 26. And, I’m not kidding, 20 minutes later somebody said “Um, Kristin can you come up to the front?” And I thought oh what is it now? And I’m walking up there thinking to myself another problem I have to put out. And there was this gentleman standing there and he was like, “You said you hadn’t had your caffeine yet. I just wanted to thank you and your staff for all the help you gave me, and for being so efficient. And he had bought coffee for the entire staff.
You know when you buy flowers for someone? And when you walk/cycle/take-a-bus home there is always, and I mean Always someone seeing them, and joking, ‘Ah, are those for me?’ or ‘Awww you shouldn’t haaave’.
At least were I’m from, that’s what happens (Netherlands)
So I figured I’d try this social experiment. The next time I bought flowers for someone, I got two bunches of flowers. I left the shop and parked my bike somewhere random, manhandling the flowers to fit in the basket. There was an old man standing by the door of his care home, winking. “Are you bringing me flowers, love?”
And of course, that was my cue.
“Well, actually, I am.”
I handed him one of the bunches and the look on his face was absolutely golden. Completely confused (someone is giving me flowers?) and grinning at the same time (someone is giving me flowers!) Wished him a nice day and cycled home.
As far as social experiments go, this was fun!
Fern K. is a camp counselor in Massachusetts and recently went through a particularly difficult break up with her partner. Understandably, she was feeling down. That’s when a camper took it upon herself to do what Fern calls “the nicest thing anyone has ever done” for her. And the best part? The camper was only 12 years old. It’s never too early to teach kindness.
Transcript:
I just went through a really bad break up a little while ago and my ex, she gave me a teddy bear, and this bear was just sitting on my bunk reminding me of what happened. And this random camper who I didn’t even know just knit me this beautiful teddy bear with stuffing and everything, and she was only, like, 12. And I think that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. And it’s my new little companion at night.
Transcriptions are indeed up and ready to go. I’m trying to get these stories on podcast, so when I do I’ll post a notice on the Tumblr with a link. Stay tuned!
You got it! I just went through all the posts I’ve done with audio and updated them with transcriptions. I was already transcribing our voicemail series, but you’re right - they should be transcribed for all of them. So from here on out that will be exactly what happens! I hope this helps!
Jean Joselin has been a cab driver in Cambridge, MA for over 30 years. One day a woman got into his car clearly distressed. When Jean asked the woman what was wrong, the woman told him everything - she’d been dumped by her boyfriend and didn’t know where to go. What happened next led to friendship, loyal clientele, and a beautiful story.
Transcript:
You know, one girl – she get in my cab and she can’t even tell me where she’s going. And she finally tell me her boyfriend left her. So I say, okay, stop crying! You so valuable. You should make man come to you, you shouldn’t cry for man. She said okay this is the same thing my father would tell me. So from now I’m going to get all my friends to call you. She passed my telephone around and before I know it I get a bunch, a bunch of students who keep calling me and sometimes they say, “I was really dying to meet you, because so and so tell me you are a good advisor, you are like a good family man.”
This is just too good not to share. Aaron Collins passed away on July 7, 2012 and in his will he expressed one wish:
”Leave an awesome tip (and I don’t mean 25%. I mean $500 on a f***ing pizza) for a waiter or waitress.”
And so Aaron’s Last Wish was born. Seth Collins, Aaron’s brother, has now started a charity fund to raise money to make Aaron’s wish come true. Now, they are going around to restaurants surprising waiters and waitresses with $500 tips. Check out the video above. And have a great weekend!
