We're inundated with accounts of violence, theft, and bad news. It seems that shocking events create curiosity and an appetite for more information and more details. Maybe that's why radio, TV, and news headlines announce war, crime, politics, and natural disasters. Do you ever wonder, “Is there any good news? Are there any heroic deeds with the only reward — feeling good?" The answer is yes, but the stories are buried and not easy to find.
READING HAIRCUTS
In a small barbershop in Ypsilanti, Michigan, kids pick out a book and head to the chair for their haircuts. That’s because children 12 and under who visit The Fuller Cut can get a $2 discount on their $11 haircut for doing a simple task: reading to the barber. Alexander Fuller and barber Ryan Griffin started their “Read to your Barber Program” more than a year ago. Kids and their parents can’t get enough of it. — Huffpost.com
MUMBAI HATCHLINGS
Two years ago, Versova beach in Mumbai, India was a shin-deep dumping ground for plastics and rubbish. Today, thanks to a massive, ongoing, and volunteer cleanup effort, 80 endangered Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings have made their way from nests on Versova’s newly pristine sands into the Arabian sea. — Washington Post
WINNING VALEDICTORIAN
This June, Griffin Furlong will defy the odds to become valedictorian of his Florida high school. Unlike the other students at his school, when classes ended each day, Griff didn’t have a home to go to. When he was 7 years old, his mother died. Since then, he, his dad, and his brother slept in homeless shelters. “A lot of kids made fun of me, but I had a plan — make good grades, and not worry about anyone but my family.” With support from his teachers, he graduates high school with a 4.65 grade-point average and will attend Florida State University. — NBC News
LOVE BOMB
James Costello was injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. He married Krista D'Agostino, the woman who nursed him back to health at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Costello said, “She hates when I say this, but I’m actually glad I got blown up. I got her.” Local businesses donated money for the wedding. — New York Daily News.
Heroic acts and generous interventions like these happen every day. The stories don’t make front-page news but they do reflect how ordinary people respond to extraordinary circumstances.
We've all been benefactors of good Samaritans. One snowy day I struggled on crutches to cross a major intersection before the traffic light turned red. Strong arms lifted me and the crutches, carried me through the slush, and put me down safely on the opposite curb. Before I could say thank you, the stranger waved and continued walking to his destination. If I was robbed or assaulted instead of being rescued, the event might have been newsworthy. Still it had lasting impact. I often pay this good deed forward — helping people in wheel chairs, parents with more children than hands, and animals in distress.
Caring people are creating good news everywhere — whether it's formally reported or not.
What's your good news?