I am still pouring through your emails and comments. So many amazing stories of people who have been motivated to start their own giving projects. I have heard from people in Saudi Arabia and Brazil who want to start giving $10 a day in their country. I have received numerous offers to help recipients on the Lend a Hand page. Others have told me how they are helping their churches, local schools, community centers, random strangers, neighbors, etc. Numerous people have offered to help me directly.
I firmly believe that people are inherently good. When we hear about someone else spreading kindness it triggers something that awakens passive thoughts of kindness that we carry inside us.
I continue to answer your emails and comments one by one…please be patient if I have not responded to you yet.
My notebook (Photo: Reed)
Today my story is about Patrick, but before I get to him I want to share something that happened to me today. I keep all my notes in a small black notebook which happened to fall out of my book-bag today as I took some photos in front of a Barns & Noble. I went to dinner with my brother, his wife, and a cousin of mine and then walked home. On the way home I stopped in to see Larry from Day 90 at Starbucks to tell him that so many people have voted for him to go to Clyde’s with me (see this post). It was then I realized that I didn’t have my notebook.
I took a cab back to the restaurant but they didn’t have it. I started to walk home and decided to look around the Barnes & Noble. There is so much foot traffic there though that I was sure it wouldn’t be there. For some reason I decided to go in and ask if someone had turned a notebook in.
Would you believe that two women had turned it in! YES! THANK YOU! They gave it to a Security Guard named George who gave it to Sultan who was working behind the check-out area. I tried to give George $10 but he would not accept my money. I have agreed to try to go back and find him one day and maybe buy him a coffee or something. I did get the name of the company he works for and will write them a letter telling them of his good deed. I will also write a letter to the Barnes & Noble to tell them about both George and Sultan.
Phew….I thought I lost my book. Ok, back to day 97.
On Sunday night I thought I would look around for someone to give my $10 to at the McDonald’s at the Woodley Park Metro station. There was nobody in the fast food restaurant so I walked around to the Connecticut Ave. side and found Patrick kicking a soccer ball on the sidewalk into some plastic crates against the wall of a bank. It was around 11pm so I figured this guy’s gotta have a story to be out here at almost midnight practicing soccer by himself.
Patrick A. (Photo: Reed)
I spent some time just watching him juggle the ball with his feet and knees as well as taking shots on “goal.” Then I chatted with him some.
The 23-year-old DC native says that he comes out there and practices against the wall of the local bank several nights a week. A lot of people know him as “crazy soccer guy.”
Patrick is unique. He has never owned a cell phone and swears that he will never get one. He is writing his own Philosophy book. He enjoys theatre. He designs his own jeans…the list goes on.
Rather than me talk about him…check him out for yourself. He’s a trip…I’m warning you. He uses my $10 for something nobody else has done so far.
Year of Giving 