Random Acts of Kindness

Edward de Bona in his book H+ describes them as pons, random acts of kindness to other people that you do not necessarily plan to do when you wake up in the morning. An attitude that you take into your day that requires you to be on the look out for opportunities to do something for someone that is not expected.

My story during the last week covers just that: On Saturday our family went down to the Cape Town Waterfront to just hang out and enjoy the day. We dropped in at a coffee shop in the Musica building and sat down for coffee and a snack. Under the table was a small camera bag, obviously left by someone before us. I searched the bag for some identification but only found a very expensive camera and a Budget car hire key. So I call the car hire company who put me in touch with the person who hired the car and they come running back to the coffee shop and claim their bag.

The next day I see that someone had dropped their flash card on the floor at church and left it when they got up to leave. I retrieve it find the owner and give it back to them.

Tuesday, waiting in line at the airport, a lady moves on in the queue and forgets her handbag and jacket on the floor. I stop the queue, ask around and get the bag back to the lady.

Just yesterday, I load up my car with a baby pram, cot and wall cabinet to deliver to our housekeeper’s home in Kommetjie. Not knowing where exactly she stays I offer to collect her from her client when she is finished for the day. I park my car and enter the home on the lake edge to knock on the door and from around the corner come four growling dogs. The homeowner screams for me to get out but too late I am trapped and mauled by the dogs before I can get back out of the gate.

Bleeding and shaking I still deliver the goods and our housekeeper to her home and make my way back to my wife to explain the loss of not only blood but also a very good pair of pants now in shreds. So do random acts of kindness pay back? Well not in this story you may wonder but out there is a lady with a camera and her car keys, a person with his flash card returned and a lady who had a better day for not loosing her bag and my housekeepers sister has stuff for her baby that she could never afford to buy. All this brings a warm glow to my heart knowing that I could be of help to make the world just a little better for a few others.

Today I am going shopping for pants.