LETTERS TO STRANGERS
...WORDS I HAVE POSTED PUBLICALLY IN VARIOUS PLACES IN RESPONSE TO OTHERS WORDS...
...a friend is a stranger waiting to be met...
One Person
THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE... (I HOPE...) THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE... (I HOPE...) THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE... (I HOPE...) THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE...
>
>
LETTERS TO STRANGERS
...WORDS I HAVE POSTED PUBLICALLY IN VARIOUS PLACES IN RESPONSE TO OTHERS WORDS...
...a friend is a stranger waiting to be met...
One Person
August 30, 1998
some of my favorite people shared...
>>"Love and The Cabbie"
>>
>>By Art Buchwald
>>
>>I was in New York the other day and rode with a friend in a taxi.
>>When we got out, my friend said to the driver, "Thank you for the
>>ride. You did a superb job of driving."
>>
>>The taxi driver was stunned for a second. Then he said,
>>
>>"Are you a wise guy or something?"
>>
>>"No, my dear man, and I'm not putting you on. I admire the way you
>>keep cool in heavy traffic."
>>
>>"Yeah," the driver said and drove off.
>>
>>"What was that all about?" I asked.
>>
>>I am trying to bring love back to New York," he said. "I believe
>>it's the only thing that can save the city."
>>
>>"How can one man save New York?"
>>
>>"It's not one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver's day.
>>
>>Suppose he has 20 fares. He's going to be nice to those 20 fares
>>because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be
>>kinder to their employees or shopkeepers or waiters or even their
>>own families. Eventually the goodwill could spread to at least
>>1,000 people.
>>Now that isn't bad, is it?"
>>
>>"But you're depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill to
>>others."
>>
>>"I'm not depending on it," my friend said. "I'm aware that the
>>system isn't foolproof so I might deal with ten different people
>>today. If out of ten I can make three happy, then eventually I can
>>indirectly influence the attitudes of 3,000 more."
>>
>>"It sounds good on paper," I admitted, "but I'm not sure it words
>>in practice."
>>
>>"Nothing is lost if it doesn't. It didn't take any of my time to
>>tell that man he was doing a good job. He neither received a larger
>>tip nor a smaller tip. If it fell on deaf ears, so what? Tomorrow
>>there will be another taxi driver I can try to make happy."
>>
>>"You're some kind of a nut," I said.
>>
>>"That shows how cynical you have become. I have made a study of this.
>>The thing that seems to be lacking, besides money of course, for our
>>postal employees, is that no one tells people who work for the post
>>office what a good job they're doing."
>>
>>"But they're not doing a good job."
>>
>>"They're not doing a good job because they feel no one cares if they
>>do or not.
>>Why shouldn't someone say a kind word to them?"
>>
>>We were walking past a structure in the process of being built and
>>passed five workmen eating their lunch. My friend stopped.
>>
>>"That's a magnificent job you men have done. It must be difficult
>>and dangerous work."
>>
>>The workmen eyed my friend suspiciously.
>>
>>"When will it be finished?"
>>
>>"June," a man grunted.
>>
>>"Ah. That really is impressive. You must all be very proud."
>>
>>We walked away. I said to him, "I haven't seen anyone like you
>>since The Man From LaMancha."
>>
>>"When those men digest my words, they will feel better for it.
>>Somehow the city will benefit from their happiness."
>>
>>"But you can't do this all alone!" I protested. "You're just one
>>man."
>>
>>"The most important thing is not to get discouraged. Making people
>>in the city become kind again is not an easy job, but if I can
>>enlist other people in my campaign. . ."
>>
>>"You just winked at a very plain-looking woman," I said.
>>
>>"Yes, I know," he replied. "And if she's a schoolteacher, her
>>class will be in for a fantastic day."
>>
>>
>---add JD's "What One Man Can Do"
>..
>It's hard to tell the truth,
>When noone wants to listen
>When noone really cares what's going on.
>It's hard to stand alone
>When you need someone beside you
>Your spirit, and your faith
>Must be strong.
>
>What one man can do is dream
>What one man can do is love
>What one man can do is change the world
>And make it young again
>Here you see what one man can do
> ~~ John Denver ~~
>Thank you for reminding us, of the great positive influence
a small act of kindness can have on this world....
>Love and hugs,
Oh well I wonder
Yes I wonder
What would happen
What would happen to this world
Well I wonder what would happen to this world...
Now if a man tried
To take his time on Earth
And prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth
Well I wonder what would happen to this world
And if a woman
She used a life line
As something more than
Some man's servant mother wife time
Well I wonder what would happen to this world
Oh well I wonder
Yes I wonder
Oh yes I wonder
'Bout what would happen
What would happen to this world
Well I wonder what would happen to this world
As I look around us
There's such strange things
There's muggers and there's jugglers
And we are led by clowns
If an answer ever found us
Would we change things
Or are we just a people
Rotten ready for the ground
And if our future
Lies on the final line
Are we brave enough
To see the signals and the signs
I wonder what would happen to this world
We see the people
We see them marchin' down
Do we join the parade
Or do we try and turn around
Well I wonder what would happen to this world
Disciple children walk the streets
Selling books and flowers
Can they be last ones
With a semblance of a dream
If we say that no one's out there
And we say we're goin' nowhere
And we avoid the question
Is this all that it means?
Oh if a man tried
To take his time on earth
And prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth
I wonder what would happen to this world
I Wonder What Would Happen to this World
by Harry Chapin
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Originally found in Living Room Suite, 1978 and The Gold Medal
Collection, 1988.
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thank you Harry and Jason and Drew
http://littlejason.com/chapin/songs/wonderwhatwouldhappen.html
and thank you friends... and the man on the street... and Don Quixote...
and all...
ENTRANCE
CROSSROADS
FAREWELL
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