Solar-Powered Plane

[lunatica]

3. I chose to be actively kinder after Bush was 're-elected'

When he was supposedly re-elected in 2004 and almost the first words out of his mouth were that he had a huge amount of political capital and that he was going after Social Security I went into a three month depression. I quit coming to DU or any other website for news. I needed to stop the inner rage that was eating me up. I had to let go of the constant knots in my gut. As a little time went by I started to consciously smile at strangers on the street, and to greet people with a simple 'hello' or just a few words or a nod of the head.

It amazed me that so many people responded in kind, as if we had all decided the same thing. These were people I passed on the campus on a daily basis with whom there had never been any exchange before.

I made that choice for the same reason you asked to put this forum online. People need human kindness and interaction. Even from strangers.