Changing Someone’s Ride – Small Acts of Kindness

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“Some stranger somewhere, still remembers you because you were kind to them when no one else was.” – unknown

Miss O was 3-years-old when I got a bike seat for the back of my bike and took her for our first ride around the neighborhood. She loved being in that seat, even though she could primarily only see my back. As we rode around in the September sunshine, she would exclaim. “This is fantastic!” and also yell “hi” to everyone.

Her delight and enthusiasm were so infectious. It reminded me of my favorite lines from Salman Rushdie’s Midnight Children,

“It seems that in the late summer of that year my grandfather, Doctor Aadam Aziz, contracted a highly dangerous form of optimism. Bicycling around Agra, he whistled piercingly, badly, but very happily. He was by no means alone, because, despite strenuous efforts by the authorities to stamp it out, this virulent disease had been breaking out all over India that year, and drastic steps were to be taken before it was brought under control.”

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

It also reminded me of the summer I did a lot of tandem bike riding with my friend, Eric. I was in the back seat so I had no responsibility for steering and braking. All I had to do was stay on the bike and pedal. That left a lot of time for looking around and waving to people as we passed them.

I must have been going about this quietly because Eric didn’t have any idea I was waving madly from the back of the bike. Until one day when we passed a group of tough looking teenage boys and he was surprised that they smiled and did kinda of a cool, low-down wave at him. The next time we passed someone, Eric watched the shadow of the bike and saw me waving. He stopped, laughed, and then asked, “Have you been doing that all summer?”

Well, sure I had. And listen, I came by it honestly because my dad when we’d go hiking would greet every group we passed. “How much farther to the Starbucks?” or “You’re doing great. Almost there!”

What did I learn from riding with Miss O, my dad, and tandem biking? It doesn’t take much to change the experience of those around us.

This is also the topic of the HoTM podcast today, Episode 16: Nuggets of Kindness with Stuart Perkins Vicki and I talk with Stuart about one of my favorite posts of his — and how his powerful writing touches on parenting, kindness, inspiration, people paying attention to how they can help others.

It’s such a fun podcast – you may even find yourself shouting, like Miss O, “This is fantastic!” 🙂 I hope you enjoy listening!

Links for Episode 16:

Listen on Anchor: Episode 16: Nuggets of Kindness with Stuart Perkins or search for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon Music, Spotify and Pocket Casts

Stuart’s blog: https://storyshucker.wordpress.com

Stuart’s post: A Nugget of Kindness

(featured photo from Pexels)

47 thoughts on “Changing Someone’s Ride – Small Acts of Kindness”

  1. Oh how I love the story about you joyously waving — unbeknownst to Eric. So fun! And…thanks for sharing the Rushdie quote — “a highly dangerous form of optimism”? I’m down for that. Oh yeah! 😎

    Liked by 4 people

  2. And here I thought “The Wave” was something they only did in sports stadiums! You bring out the best in people, Wynne. If that is your epitaph, you will have done your part and more.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. I love that you waved from your bike, and that your dad greeted everyone he passed. Just smiling even, changes the energy of interactions. In my town when out for a walk, people greet each other whether they know them or not. Occasionally you’ll stop to chat and pat a dog. It’s easy to spot the Airbnbers, they just look down as they pass you by. 😆
    Something we all do in a big city.
    Your opening quote is fantastic. As well as Rushdie’s book.
    Kindness is infectious and the world can certainly use more of it. Thank you for being such a bright light Wynne and passing the joy around. 💕

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I love that you can tell the people just passing through. Yes, kindness is infectious – and you do such a great job of spreading it!! Yes, yes, yes!

      By the way, did you see that I linked to your happiness project from Sharing the Heart of the Matter April wrap up post? I hope people are streaming over to get a dose of happiness from you!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thank you so much for sharing that Wynne. That means a lot. I do hope we can all join together to become a large happy community that offers inspiration and spreads joy. Thank you for always participating and helping to spread the word. The world needs it. 💕🌸

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Important message and great examples, Wynne. And you don’t have to be on a bike to make those connections. Smiling at others when you’re walking the aisles of your grocery store or other casual interactions can bring the same positive results, making both you and the person/people you’re connecting with feel good. 😊💕

    Liked by 3 people

  6. A smile and a wave can say so much. The small moment of conversation adds the icing to the cake doesn’t it. Clearly your dad knew that too! Folks don’t realize just how easy it is.

    Liked by 4 people

  7. I experiment a lot with groups of people in elevators (race you to the top), grocery store lines and so on. It really does not take much…how cool on the back seat of a bike!!

    Liked by 5 people

  8. This is a fantastic post! Yes, it doesn’t take much. Imagine the world we’d all share if we made the effort. 🙂 And the quote by Salman Rushdie is sobering: “He was by no means alone, because, despite strenuous efforts by the authorities to stamp it out, this virulent disease had been breaking out all over India that year, and drastic steps were to be taken before it was brought under control.” That’s the way the world’s leaning right now, and only we can change that.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I love that quote too! Amazing how people felt the need to quieten down people’s happiness and optimism, lest others get infected too!

      Liked by 2 people

  9. When I go running or riding, I’m a waver. It drives me nuts we the other person doesn’t reciprocate. Like they think their run is going to suffer if they lift their arm. Susan & I have tandem ridden together on vacation. It makes us both want to sing.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Happiness and joy are infectious and it sounds like you were a happy busy bee pollinating happiness to passerby’s that summer including the usually tough to crack teenage crowd. We need more of this these days!

    I’ve been meaning to read Midnight’s Children one day. That passage you shared it just lovely. What a masterful writer.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. “The usually tough to crack teenage crowd.” You are hilarious, Ab! 🙂

      I really enjoyed Midnight’s Children – as you said, he is a masterful writer!

      Hope you all have a great weekend!

      Like

  12. Thanks, Wynne. Excellent post. I love the ‘dangerous form of optimism’ that’s a ‘virulent disease’… and the ‘this is fantastic’… freely available to all but often ignored. I hope and pray that I’ve caught it – and am sufficiently contagious that others catch it from me.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. This is the nugget, “It doesn’t take much to change the experience of those around us.” A smile, a wave, a salutation! I’m looking forward to listening to the podcast! Hugs, C

    Liked by 2 people

  17. Your post about kindness was a breath of fresh air. It’s a timely reminder of how powerful and beautiful kindness can be.

    Liked by 1 person

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