Day 268 to 270 – “Richard … Happy?!”

(Shared with you with the permission of Harry's parents)

One of the great joys in my life is giving respite to families with autistic children. One of my links is Harry and I have been with him for 3 years and he has become like a little brother to me.

One of Harry’s behaviours involves taking pictures. He always has a camera with him and he constantly makes a pictorial record of the day we have together. He also likes to take photos of himself by holding the camera away from his face with one hand and pointing the camera back at himself … he follows the same process when taking photos of himself with his family/friends.

Unfortunately Harry has a tendency to pick out unsuspecting members of the public wanting to have his picture taken with them. Whilst bowling today he picked out a teenager in a group. I stopped Harry and could see, by the response of the teenagers, that this was not a safe thing for him to do. So I had to be firm with Harry by telling him ‘No!” … Harry wasn’t pleased with me.

We arrived at our booth in the bowling alley and Harry put his arm over my shoulder and took a picture of us both. He examined the digital photo and, seeing that I was not smiling, said, “Richard … Happy?”

He took another photograph, this time with us both smiling … I think we are friends again … J

A few more acts of kindness achieved recently include:

6 x Gave cash to a charity
31 x Proactively ‘gave-way’ to other drivers
1 x Picked up rubbish in the neighbourhood
2 x Gave respite care to a family by looking after Harry
3 x Held the door open for someone

Sub total: 43
Running total: 2835

Target: 3000+ in 12months

Commenced 30^thNovember 2011

Motivation for ‘’My Ten-a-day’

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”

 

Day 253 to 267 – The Mysterious Case of the Moving Wheelie Bin

It can be very frustrating when you miss the rubbish collection; especially with fortnightly pick-ups. So I have been putting out my neighbour’s bins, if needed, when I put mine out. I also enjoy putting them all back and picking-up any scattered rubbish.

Over the past two weeks I have noticed that my bin had been put back without my help; I assumed Gill had done it. Well, what a lovely surprise I had when a neighbour, I hardly knew, informed me that she had been doing it.

I know it’s not much, but it did give me a warm feeling just to know a stranger was looking out for me.

The last two weeks of kind acts included:

22 x Gave a big smile and a hello to a stranger
8 x Gave cash to a charity
77 x Proactively ‘gave-way’ to other drivers
7 x Picked up rubbish in the neighbourhood
1 x Gave respite care by taking-on another link
1 x Help a stranger with her pram
35 x Proactively ‘gave-way’ to a pedestrian

4 x Voluntary work for Ipsos Access Panels

1 x Voluntary work with the local community association

2 x Gave respite care to a family by looking after Luke
2 x Cut neighbours lawn
5 x Struck-up a cheery conversation with a stranger
18 x Held the door open for someone
2 x Helped someone in need

Sub total: 185
Running total: 2792

Target: 3000+ in 12months

Commenced 30^thNovember 2011

Motivation for ‘’My Ten-a-day’

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”

Day 244 to 252 – The Stranger on the Bridge

In March 2011 I was driving home from our Chapel when I came across a man and a woman on a road bridge. The woman had climbed over the safety barrier and the man was speaking with her ... a classic attempt 'suicide' scenario.

I stopped my car and went to the blind side of the woman so she could not see me and hoping not to provoke her into jumping. I wanted to get near enough so I could hear what was being said and to take some positive action if required. I knew the police were on their way and I was quite content to keep everything calm until the police arrived and then hand it over to them.

Before the police arrived the woman became very agitated and her body language indicated to me she was about to jump. I looked at the man’s face and could see a look of horror appear and I thought, for the first time in my experience of these matters, that this woman was actually going to do it!

I made a grabbed for the female and, with the help of the man, pulled her back over the safety rail.

The police arrived and we gave our contact details and left the scene.

Yesterday, I met up with that stranger again, as we were both given a Commendation by the local Police for our actions on that day. Over my 30 years in law enforcement I have often been in situations like that and, to be honest, I am pretty use to it. But this young man had never been involved in anything remotely like this and when asked, by the Local Police Commander, why he stopped his car and went to the aid of the women. He simply replied, ‘It was the right thing to do.”

If only all of us were inspired to do things in life simply because it is the ‘right thing to do’, what wonderful World it be … and what a hero I met on the bridge that day.

This weeks kind acts to others, that I hope were inspired by the ‘right thing to do’, included:

8 x Gave a big smile and a hello to a stranger
8 x Gave cash to a charity
76 x Proactively ‘gave-way’ to other drivers
4 x Picked up rubbish in the neighbourhood
1 x Did some community service
6 x Held the door open for someone
15 x Proactively ‘gave-way’ to a pedestrian
2 x Put neighbours bin back after the bin men had been

2 x Gave cash to a street beggar

1 x Gave First Aid to a collapsed male

Sub total: 123
Running total: 2607

Target: 3000+ in 12months

Commenced 30^thNovember 2011

Motivation for ‘’My Ten-a-day’

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”