Kindness Makes the World go Round

Madeline at her 2016 summer tour spot in Downtown Peace River.
There is one tour left on August 18 starting at 12:00; 12:30; and 1:00 pm

by Madeline Martel

Random acts of kindness can strike anywhere, and anytime, which has proven true for me. One may not even be aware that something they do can have such a vast impact on someone’s day, or even life. It’s so easy to generalize human beings as being bad when we look at all the atrocities that people have committed in the past, and are still presently committing, but  anyone who has been witness  to, received, or given, a random act of kindness would disagree with that generalization.

While working as a summer student at the museum this summer, I have been the recipient of a couple acts of kindness that have stood out in my mind all summer long. From generous Shaftesbury Trail residents bringing me water on a particularly hot day at the Mackenzie Cairn, to a young man taking a strong interest in the walking tours, I have truly been moved by the kindness that people have to offer.

Bad news and serious stories plaster the internet, newspapers, radio, and everything in between. Sometimes the headlines are all bad and it seems like nothing good ever happens on a global, or even on a local scale.  Although the “feel good stories” mainly affect a very small portion of the population, they do have a domino effect on a community. Someone does something nice for you; you do something nice for someone else, and so on. Good deeds deserve to be recognized as having a major impact on people’s well-being and overall happiness. 

It’s not as if acts of kindness were not happening while I was growing up in Peace River, living my day to day life, but they seem to stand out so prominently now that I’m only back for the summer. Growing up in a small town can make a young person want to flee, in hopes of finding a more exciting life. This was true for me, but now that I am home for the summer, soon to go back to the city, I am taking in the beauty and kindness that so many people in the Peace Region have to offer. I take the time now to recognize these acts and be grateful that I live in such an amazing place, with so many kind-hearted people. So, thank you, on behalf of everyone who has received a random act of kindness, to those who take the time out of their lives to do these deeds and expect nothing in return.