Believing that people are inherently good

The news is too filled with all the bad things that people do to each other. I know that focus on bad behavior is what gives views on social media and that is what sells newspapers. Are people less civil than they used to be? Perhaps.

I am ever the optimist though and truly believe that most people are inherently good. I had a few good experiences this past week that proved that to me.

People helping their community

So we’ve all read about Covid booster shots. And the race is on for folks to get these shots. Ever since Covid shots were first available, a small-business owner who lives in my town and who has his own compounding pharmacy has run vaccine clinics. He goes out of his way to make it easy and convenient for people to get their shots. It was no different with the booster shots. As I was waiting to get my shot, I felt several emotions. The first one was of deep gratitude for my access to great medical care like these shots. The second was trepidation, since I tend to get every side-effect symptom in the book with shots. I even feel sick after getting a flu shot!

People being kind

After my Covid booster, I was a bit nervous since I had to walk about 15 minutes to where my car was parked. (That was my choice since I always like to build in walking with my errands.) I was afraid that I would get dizzy or feel really weak. Thus, I was not really paying attention. Somehow I dropped my glasses case, with my regular glasses inside. I was wearing sunglasses.

I didn’t discover this until I got home. I quickly got back in my car and retraced my steps. I even stopped back in the stores I had visited, hoping someone had turned them in. No luck. And now I was frantic. First of all because my glasses are expensive. I have a very complicated eyeglass prescription and that costs me. Secondly, my back up pair is several years old and I can’t see very well out of them.

Well, low and behold, the next morning, a kind soul, Stanley, called me to say that he found my glasses. Oh, thank goodness! I had put my name, address and phone number inside my glasses case.

A heartfelt thank you to my new friend, Stanley! You have confirmed my faith in humanity.

Now it is time for me to pay it forward.

How about you? Do you have any stories of kindness to share?

Kindness photo is courtesy of Kate Ter Haar under Creative Commons licensing 2.0.