One good turn
Right, so we have a number of people lined up to reward members of pretty much all the featured professions. In particular, teachers will be receiving an avalanche of goodwill. There are some really lovely ideas. The planned deeds are spread over the next few days, rather than just the 13th, so it may take a while to collate the results. But at least some will happen tomorrow.
In addition to these, today (13th) there is the main business of doing an Act of Kindness to tie in with Kindness Day. We can all do this. You needn’t stop at one, of course. You can do something nice for friends/colleagues like some people have already signed up to do, or you could take your chances by roaming around town and looking for opportunities to be kind.
I’m simply asking you to do something Kind and report it beneath this blog, any time from now (1am November 13th), and ideally take a picture of yourself doing it or the beneficiary being pleased about it. I don’t normally bother pulling together photos and such-like on this blog (which reminds me, I’ve still not got those photos from Project Preston), but I think it would be good to have an archive of all attempts at kindness. Then perhaps we can repeat the experiment in a more organised way next year.
I’ll be online most of the day tomorrow, unusually, so I will be checking regularly for news of Kind Acts as they happen. As well as posting details of my own. Good luck, everyone. KIND! KIND! KIND!
DO IT!!!! And tell us about it.
Posted by Hannah on November 23, 2010
In the interest of the QIP appeal:
I did buy a 40 pack of Chupa Chup lollipops and as I wandered through the city handed them out to people who needed a smile and to children who were being disruptive, whose parents then thanked me for quietening them down. Kindness.
Posted by Tibbs on November 16, 2010
I brought some kindness to some nurses, in the form of chocolate and flowers, and to my coworkers in the form of timbits (ie doughnut holes). And as part of being less introverted, I even wrote a blog about it: http://tiny.cc/kday. Unfortunately I did not think to get photographic evidence of any of my deeds. I did a few other kind things as well, like leaving a bigger tip than normal at Tim Horton’s and switching things around at work so that two of my coworkers were no longer doing stations they don’t like, that I forgot to put in the blog. All in all, I felt very kind!
Posted by Katy on November 15, 2010
As I was visiting my best mate this weekend I took him out for a night out on the Saturday and paid for everything, drinks before we left, drinks all night, transport and chicken at the end. He’s been out of work for a while (though has just got a new job) and has a baby on the way and I thought I’d do something nice for him because he’s awesome. I also made him a cheesecake.
Posted by Sephy on November 14, 2010
I did the things i said I was going to do (e.g. ordering chinese takeaway for staff at work, giving gloves to chilly looking people, making my family breakfast). I tried being nice to a telemarketer, but she was just confused i think lol, she put the phone down!
I complimented one of the checkout staff at Tesco to customer service; I hope the message got passed on. I bought another poppy. And finally, I picked my brother up from town so that he didnt have to pay for a taxi, whereas tbh i would usually have told him to jog right on.
It was fun but suprisingly time consuming being very kind. I am going to make a point of thanking more people for good service in future though as a friend who works in a shop told me it can make a rubbish day a lot better when a customer gives you a compliment like that.
People have had such great indeas. We’ve definitely made the world a better place i reckon haha!
Posted by lisan66 on November 14, 2010
I’m going to be nice tomorrow (Monday) and bring in muffins (homemade) to my friends in uni because….well because we want to have a picnic in a lecture really….
Posted by Simon on November 14, 2010
Of the designated list of people I only managed to be nice to rail staff – and underground staff and all I did was smile and say thank you.
Other bits of kindness. I left a note for my colleague who has gone in for an operation and I think is under appreciated by most people in the organisation.
I also found a woman who was lost in Euston station, she wasn’t from London and the Victoria line wasn’t working so I took her out to the bus stops, found her bus stop, and waited and talked to her till her bus came, because it was dark and wet and she wasn’t sure she was going. I did pretended I was waiting for a different bus at the same stop and I was only five minutes till her bus came along but still a little bit of kindness.
Posted by Rachael on November 14, 2010
I spent most the day making drinks for all my nan’s friends at her birthday party and I gave my mum some sweets. I don’t have any picture evidence though I’m afraid.
Posted by amycool on November 14, 2010
Just bought a tin of Celebrations to take to the hospital with me. £4.50!!! A small box used to cost that! So I bought a tin of Quality Street for my colleagues nearer Christmas as apparently a few years ago someone told all the public that they weren’t allowed to give us gifts. Consequently, every other library is teeming with chocolate for the whole month of December whereas we get nothing.
Just need to write the thank you cards now.
I love the leaving a note for the postman/lady idea.
Posted by Rachel Winter on November 14, 2010
As tweeted, I got my mum some nice cheese.
This may not sound v exciting, but she LOVES cheese (ahem, unlike Mark haha), and she doesn’t get many treats so was quite chuffed.
(tho sadly I didnt do anything for people with thankless jobs)
Posted by Helen on November 13, 2010
Left a ‘Thank You’ note with some chocolate (big pack of magic stars) out for the post lady today. She wrote this message on an envelope:
http://yfrog.com/7epicture0065bj
No idea if i’ve done that right.
Posted by Nuala on November 13, 2010
Took my kids out for the day, allowing my husband a day of chilling out at home, watching as much sport as he wanted. Does that count?
Posted by MusicalLottie on November 13, 2010
Today I suggested to my friend that we buy Krispy Kremes for our friends, an unemployed single mother and daughter – they hadn’t tried them before and certainly haven’t the money themselves (the daughter has various allergies so the food they have to buy tends to be more expensive which puts further strain on their finances) – and they really enjoyed them!
I also took another friend, who is a teacher, for tea and hot chocolate last week; it wasn’t specifically because he’s a teacher (it was more so he could have a little time to relax; he’s always so very busy) but does it half-count maybe?
I’ll be taking the train on Thursday, so providing I have enough money I’ll try to buy some sweets (Celebrations or the like) and dot them around the train and station(s) with little Post-Its on
Also GROUP HUG for lovely Watsonians!
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on November 13, 2010
Today I’ve bought my Mum some flowers, cos she’s dead nice. I also bought cookie making ingredients for teachers on Monday.
I also ended up doing something I wasn’t planning on, by dealing with a girl who dislocated her shoulder in a netball match. I would have done it anyway, being as I’m trained for it, but she said I stopped her panicking and things, so that’s quite kind, I think.
Posted by Neil Smith on November 13, 2010
My Brother In Law has very recently become a trained teacher of “resistant materials” he’s been in teaching for 6 weeks or so, and although he said he tried to be tolerant for the first 2 weeks or so, he now walks around the classes looking over the students shoulders at what they are doing thinking about how he would love to punch some of them in the back of the head…. He blames the parents and says the children haven’t got respects anymore.
Can you write a blog for Leighton asking parents to make their children more respectful towards others…..
Posted by Aislinn on November 13, 2010
I have sent chocolate to some friends. Admittedly that wasn’t because of Kindness Day, but it happens to tie in.
Also, as you will be well aware, today is also National Indian Pudding Day. I work at a school, so am going to make Indian Pudding (no idea) and take it in to work for the teachers on Monday. Multi-cultural kindness for all (of my colleagues)!
Posted by Rachel on November 13, 2010
I’m organising Children in Need fundraising for Friday and doing a sponsored walk in the 27th. I also plan on thanking my English Language teacher fro the past few lessons we’ve had, because I’ve really been enjoying them
Posted by issey on November 13, 2010
I’m helping my dad move house today!
Posted by Derek on November 13, 2010
Hello, I recently came to one of your shows (at the request of my son Clive, whose partner could not attend due to problems with her child from a previous relationship). Anyway, its been years since I last went to a ‘comedy show’ and to be honest I was fearing the worst!. I thought it would be all this ‘toilet humour’ that you see on the TV these days, you know the stuff…’cock this’ and ‘shit that’ etc etc. Not to mention the fear of getting picked on, especially with my unusual features!
I have to say though, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite 2 hours I’ve had all year, but definitely top half!!. Clive had to explain some things to me, and he begged me not to do my ‘Dad sneeze’ at the end for fear of embarrassment, but as I say, excellent stuff Mr Watson, and having read it was kindness day on your website blog I thought I would tell you how much I enjoyed it!!
Derek (54)
Posted by Emily on November 13, 2010
I have put money in to two washing machines and two dryers in halls so that some people get a nice surprise. I didn’t take pictures though because there was a girl watching me.
Posted by andrew on November 13, 2010
how about this mark, I selflessly used some reverse psychology on you , when we met in blackburn I suggested john stead wasnt all that, and look he scores the winner v a decent swansea side! no need to thank me. i enjoyed the show, im enjoying eleven.
Posted by Meg on November 13, 2010
Planning to do some kind things in London today but so far I have send some kind, supportive messages to my friend who has cerebral palsy and is having a simply awful time with pain at the moment. She’s had a pretty difficult week and I’ve tried to be there for her the whole time at school but the most I can do at weekends is send her messages. So that is what I have done.
I’m also going to spend next week being kind to my teachers because teaching teenagers must be horrific. I did this for a very, very special teacher in September (and wrote a blog about it: http://bit.ly/9FXU8s ) but I plan to make all my teachers’ days better throughout next week. Because they deserve it.
Also trying to make my parents’ lives easier by helping out with my brother but that can’t really be done on a specific day because it depends on when he’s being particularly difficult. But I do it when I can.
Posted by Anna on November 13, 2010
My first kind deed of the day has been to buy 2 packs of charity Christmas cards from my friend. Her son was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 5, and spent last Christmas in hospital. He’s in remission now, and is working really hard to raise money to help the hospital he was in. He’s designed cards, and he (with the help of his mum) has organised a toy collection at his local supermarket, so children in hospital this year will get a little extra something from Father Christmas.
I’m also going to send him some money to buy a toy on my behalf (as he’s in Northampton and I’m in Essex, so can’t do it in person). If here are any Northampton Watsonians, please, as your act of kindness, go to Asda in Kingsthorpe, buy a toy, and make a sick child happy on Christmas Day. (more details here http://tinyurl.com/3xazhsy )
Right, I’m off into sunny Southend now, to see who I can be kind to…
Posted by Tracey on November 13, 2010
I shall see what opportunities present themselves – it may well be my family who are the recipients. Have a great weekend Mark and a big hello to all other posters out there. Take care, Tracey x
Posted by Nuala on November 13, 2010
Am taking the kids to Cardiff today. Will look out for post-it notes!
Posted by Misha on November 13, 2010
I too would like to nominate Rachel, who feels a bit down and also needs a hug. Although perhaps from someone less germy than me. *group hug*
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on November 13, 2010
Also, is it too late to do nominating? I’d like to nominate the lovely Misha. Not only is she a Watsonian Extraordinaire who organises many many things, but she’s also poorly at the moment and needs some love.
GROUP HUG!
Posted by Misha on November 13, 2010
My original cake making plan failed, because i’m too broke to buy flour, but i’m considering a postit note campaign in Cardiff city centre.
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on November 13, 2010
KIND KIND KIND indeed.
Apart from feeding teachers I have a couple of things planned for tomorrow, which are sort of kind. We shall see…