Random Acts of Kindness Week is Coming Up

Apparently, last Saturday at precisely 4 p.m. at the Rave, it was opposite day. Hopefully you missed it, wherever you are, but Dave and I ran head first into a "random act of rudeness" or, what I like to call, "things that make you say "RAR". And I've got the lump to prove it.

So, my kids have gotten big and their own lives that they like to pursue, so Saturday afternoon last, Dave and I found ourselves in this big house all alone, and instead of drawing some beer to cry in, we decided to go see a matinee of The Bucket List. Who knew that the theatre would be packed? We walked all the way up one side and not two seats together. Just one here and there. And we had one popcorn and one coke to share. Then we walked all the way up the other side, still no deals.

But way up at the tippy top, there were 2 seats a couple of seats off, and then a bit down 2 more seats a few more seats off. So, I apologize to the lady at the tippy top for interrupting her previews and state the obvious, that there are no seats together and I was just wondering if she might mind move over ONE SEAT so my hub and I and our popcorn and coke can sit together. She looked me straight in the eye and said that yes, she minded. I turned 5 shades of red (embarrassment, not anger) and apologized again, and told her that was totally cool (which I didn't really think so, but I was just trying to acknowledge and move on) and that I would just sit in the seat next to her and Dave was going to take the one a couple down. No worries.

EXCEPT there were worries, because she calmly told me that her coat was in the seat, so I could not sit there. By now, I have added 3 shades of red, plus 2 big fat tears welling up. And my jaw was on the ground beneath her coat and the seat I was trying to sit in. I picked it up and put it back in place so I could, again, point out the obvious, that the theatre was packed and there were just a few seats available, and this was one, and I had bought a ticket and all for just such a time as this. All she said was,"I bought a ticket, too" and turned away from me so I wouldn't bother her anymore.

I didn't really say "RAR". I wanted to say, "Did you buy a ticket for your coat?" But I didn't. We just turned around and slinked down a few rows and asked 4 people (who all, of course, had overheard and seemed just as stunned as we were) if they wouldn't mind moving so we could sit together. They didn't mind, even though it was more of an inconvenience to make room for us, and we thanked them profusely as we tripped over them going in, and again on the way out.

And the movie was worth it. Jack Nicholsen and Morgan Freeman. Come on, you already know it's good going in, even if you get a big shiny lump on your forehead from encountering a random act of rudeness on the way.

By the way, National Random Acts of Kindness Week is coming up, February 11-17. After reading this, I think we all know what NOT to do. To get more ideas of what TO do, go check out www.wakw.com, or Steve Sjogren's ideas to change the world at: http://www.servantevangelism.com/ideas/search_ideas.php.

Also, go rent Evan Almighty (another Morgan Freeman flick) to get caught up in the spirit of ARK (or acts of random kindness) which is a more euphamistic acronym than RAK. And, anything is better than RAR!