There is more to this title.
I saw it on a bumper sticker.
The car was parked in a shopping centre.
I walked by, read it, and kept walking.
You know how you can read something but at the same time be thinking of something else?
Like reading a book, and you get to the bottom of the page, and you realize you have no idea what you just read.
Your mind was elsewhere.
That is where I was in the parking lot.
But it kind of jolted me.
I stopped.
Wait?
What did that say?
Did it say what I think I read?
I walked back and read it again.
It did.
‘Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.’
I stared at that bumper for a good five minutes.
Read it over and over again.
I knew from then on in, I had my new inner mantra.
In the middle of a parking lot, on a random Tuesday afternoon, a bumper sticker told me how to live.
I am not the smartest guy on the block.
I need things explained to me sometimes.
This phrase is turning another phrase on its head.
The one you hear on the news too often.
‘Random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty.’
Change two words, and you can change a life.
The bumper sticker parking lot thing happened a while ago.
I try my best to ‘put it into play.’
I think the word that stands out for me the most is ‘Random.’
It gives the expression a way in.
An easy way in.
An easy way in to practice it.
Random is easy.
But you know?
There is more to it.
At least something that is ‘more’ to me.
I love it when I am a spectator.
I love to see it in action.
But you know?
There is more on the ‘more.’
It is nice to be at the receiving end.
It happened the other day.
I am working on something.
Something that requires a photographer.
I know someone who is one.
I met him on one of my rides.
(Reason #7,302 why cycling is the best)
He is incredibly skilled and talented.
His work is proof.
His clients are proof.
I was afraid that by asking him for a hand, perhaps I might offend him.
Like offend him in the sense that he is completely out of my league, and why would I think he would do such a menial job?
I asked a sister, and I asked a few friends.
They all said, ‘Oh TJ, just ask.’
I did.
He was enthusiastically all in.
Nice, eh?
The job is done.
It is beautiful.
I could not be prouder.
I got the invoice the other day.
Here it is,
https://www.instagram.com/payette/
‘Random Acts of Kindness’
Insert person holding door open for someone emoji here.
‘There is Another Way to Ride.’