INSPIRATIONAL: Give Umbrellas to people caught in the rain?

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/watch-the-moment-a-guy-jumps-out-of-his-car-to-give-umbrella-to-couple-stuck-in-d-c-downpour/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=25-04-2022

Watch the Moment a Guy Jumps Out of His Car to Give Umbrella to Couple Stuck in D.C. Downpour
By Good News Network-Apr 23, 2022

*** begin quote ***

Recently, a random act of kindness in the Nation’s Capital inspired a driver to share the video of a Good Samaritan.

Thousands were inspired by the moment that happened on April 14th, after it was shared on Reddit.

It may look like the woman, who was being drenched on the sidewalk, began holding the umbrella over a covered baby stroller, but upon closer inspection, you can see it was someone in a wheelchair holding a newspaper to cover their head.

Not only did the driver go out of his way, the woman used the umbrella to shelter the person in the wheelchair instead of herself.

*** end quote ***

I never really thought about this but I must have some old umbrellas to hand out.

How about you?

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INSPIRATIONAL: Strollers at the border

Thursday, March 24, 2022

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/strangers-are-leaving-strollers-diapers-and-toys-at-the-border-for-ukrainian-refugee-moms-look/

Strangers are Leaving Strollers, Diapers, and Toys at the Border for Ukrainian Refugee Moms (LOOK)
By  Andy Corbley – Mar 18, 2022

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An image recently shared around social media of empty strollers on a Polish rail border crossing has inspired a mountain of donations for Ukrainian refugees.

Now at Przemyśl Station, women, children, and infants fleeing the war are being greeted by mountains of clothes, stuffed animals, strollers, diapers, and more after they step off the train.

ABC reports that the number of spare carriers and strollers from Polish mothers have been particularly inspiring, with many donators leaving handwritten notes behind, with words of support.

“We see on the television and hear on the radio what happened, and we say ‘okay we can help,’” one Polish mother and volunteer told ABC.

*** end quote ***

The beauty of the charitable spirit brings one to tears.

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INSPIRATIONAL: Somewhere In Heaven There’s A Black And White Dog Taking Care Of Seven Golden Lab Puppies

Sunday, February 27, 2022

https://www.boredpanda.com/wholesome-animals-uplifting-pics/?utm_source=3587019_0_0_0&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=WebPush

Feel good positive stories 37 5bcec4ff28186 700 61f963d1cf5d4 700

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Something in the picture touched my heart.

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INSPIRATIONAL: His fate was seal-ed.

Saturday, February 19, 2022

https://nypost.com/2022/02/17/california-man-who-fell-off-his-boat-thought-hed-die-until-seal-helped-him-swim-to-safety/

California man survives frigid five-hour night swim with a friendly seal as his guide
By Yaron Steinbuch
February 17, 2022 12:35pm  Updated

*** begin quote ***

His fate was seal-ed.

A California man thought he would die when he fell off his fishing boat and into the frigid Pacific Ocean — but a friendly harbor seal showed up in the nick of time and helped get him to safety.

Scott Thompson, a sea urchin diver, blamed a lapse in judgment for the mishap that sent him falling off his boat into the Santa Barbara Channel in the middle of the night last month.

“I thought to myself, ‘Great, this is how I’m going to die. Today is the day I’m going to die,’” Thompson, who was wearing nothing but his shorts and T-shirt at the time, told KABC-TV.

*** and ***

“Even putting on a wet suit, being prepared, getting in that water, and swimming to the platform was horrendous,” Paul Amaral, president of towing company Channel Watch Marine told KABC.

“I can’t imagine being in the water with shorts and a T-shirt at night. There was no moon, I mean it was pitch black,” he said.

In his post, Thompson wrote: “I’m a believer that there is a higher power now. I don’t know what it is, but there is a power greater than me. That was shown to me and I will never doubt that for the rest of my life.”

*** end quote ***

Guess someone can enumerate for all us land lubbers what this fellow did wrong.  I’ve read about dolphins and porpoises rescuing sailors adrift and downed military pilots.  It was always chalked up to the animals being “playful”.  But, maybe it’s just “Guardian Angels” is wet form.

In any event, an inspirational story.

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INSPIRATIONAL: Maybe there is an “oriental” way of raising children?

Friday, February 18, 2022

For no apparent reason, other than spending a lot of time with a four year old boy, I began to think of the children of a family who ran a Chinese takeout restaurant back in the 70’s.  Since I ate a lot of “Chinese food” (and not what was Goood for me), I watched their three children grow up.  While Mom and Dad were sweating their asses off, hustling food, the three children sat very quietly and did what looked to be schoolwork. As they got older, the started to work the business.  I remember watching an about ten year old girl stop doing schoolwork and help her overwhelmed Mom answer the phones to take orders.  I was amused to listen to one side of the conversation and then see her turn to the kitchen and yell the order just like her Mom.  She’d put the orders on the carousel and, when the phone volume died off, return to her studies. 

It was a model of decorum and hard work.

Last night, when I was drifting off to sleep, I wondered if the Chinese have a secret to raising children?  

Certainly seems like that to me.

Hmmmm?

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INSPIRATIONAL: Woman saves three fishermen by calling for a rescue

Monday, February 7, 2022

https://nypost.com/2022/02/04/3-fishermen-rescued-thanks-to-sharp-eyed-911-caller/

Three fishermen rescued off coast of Massachusetts thanks to sharp-eyed woman who called 911
By Associated Press
February 4, 2022 10:04am

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SCITUATE, Mass. — Three fishermen who clung to debris in the frigid waters off the coast of Massachusetts for nearly an hour after their boat sank survived thanks to a sharp-eyed woman on shore who was the only person to call 911.

The 55-foot (16.75-meter) Bing Bing went down so fast about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from shore on Tuesday afternoon that the crew didn’t have time to don survival suits or even make a distress call.

“The whole boat flipped over; I was thrown in the water,” crew member Joe Roderick told WCVB-TV from his hospital bed, where he was recovering from hypothermia and from swallowing saltwater and diesel fuel. The other two crew members also required hospitalization.

*** end quote ***

Kudos to this lady, who saw something and said something.  To save three souls is inspiring.  The Talmud teaches, “He who saves a single life, saves the world entire.”  Not exactly sure what that means, but I know there are three men who would agree.

From my fat old white guy injineer’s perspective, should not boats, especially commercial ones, have an automatic alert system?  Sort of like an airliner’s black box or transponder.  If the boat goes down, it should be calling for help with a location — no human intervention required.

In any event, these fellows were lucky she was “on duty” watching over them like an unseen Guardian Angel.

And, speaking up like this, about a life saving event, is certainly not being a “Karen” and the MYOB rule is not applicable in this situation.  I am waiting for my turn to “save a life” or, even deliver a baby.  (Have to not waste that USAF air survival training. Laugh!)

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INSPIRATIONAL: A cave dive that could have been a disaster

Thursday, January 27, 2022

‘The Everest of cave diving’: Australia’s most mysterious cave system and the incredible story of how an expedition survived after being trapped for 27 hours
Cave

  • diver Andrew Wight led an expedition to the Pannikin Plains cave system
  • The area is in the Nullarbor Plain, a vast desert which sits atop limestone bedrock
  • While exploring the caves a storm swept in and caused the entrance to collapse
  • His team was trapped

underground until a daring rescue mission saved them

By BRETT LACKEY FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 20:37 EST, 22 January 2022 | UPDATED: 20:37 EST, 22 January 2022

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Deep below the Australian Outback are some of the largest and most mysterious cave systems on Earth – where a team of explorers once miraculously survived after being trapped for 27 hours by an avalanche.

*** end quote ***

Read this and see the pictures to get a sense of the danger and drama.

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INSPIRATIONAL: Thich Nhat Hanh, a modern day Ghandi or MLK?

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/thich-nhat-hanh-poetic-peace-activist-and-master-of-mindfulness-dies-at-95/ar-AAT1gqP

Thich Nhat Hanh, poetic peace activist and master of mindfulness, dies at 95
By James Pearson – 2h ago (Reuters) –

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Thich Nhat Hanh, the Zen Buddhist monk, poet and peace activist who in the 1960s came to prominence as an opponent of the Vietnam War, died on Saturday aged 95 surrounded by his followers in the temple where his spiritual journey began.

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“Three hundred years from now where will you be and where shall I be?” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Sadly.

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INSPIRATIONAL: What does a gamer do when he runs out of lives?

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Strange dream the other night.

What if life is really like a game?

When we run out of money, life, energy, Karmic tokens, what happens?

In games, you start over.  The Eastern religions seem to believe in some type of reincarnation based on how you lived your life.

I guess the atheists have it the easiest, the game just ends.

Strange dreams lead to weird blog posts.

Laugh!

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

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INSPIRATIONAL: Tourists self-organize a rescue

Sunday, January 9, 2022

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10374431/Philippines-beachgoers-form-human-chain-rescue-drowning-tourist-choppy-seas-Video.html

Moment beachgoers form a human chain to rescue drowning tourist from choppy seas in the Philippines

  • A man in his 20s was caught in a powerful tide on Binmaley beach on January 1
  • Revellers celebrating the New Year formed a human chain to rescue the man
  • The man was pulled to safety and was declared healthy by medics on the beach 

By CHAY QUINN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 04:32 EST, 6 January 2022 | UPDATED: 08:05 EST, 6 January 2022

*** begin quote *** 

This is the heroic moment beachgoers formed a human chain to save a tourist drowning in the sea in the Philippines.

The man in his mid-20s was playing in the waist-deep water when he was knocked over by the powerful waves on the Binmaley beach in Pangasinan province as holidaymakers were celebrating the New Year on January 1.

Onlookers heard his cries for help and immediately banded together to reach the drowning man, who was struggling to stay afloat because of powerful tides.

*** end quote ***

Wow, what a powerful example of spontaneous cooperation.

Safe a life; save the world.

No Gooferment; no politicians and bureaucrats, just good people reacting quickly.

Impressive!

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