Harriet Tubman was monumental in the abolitionist movement in the United States. Tubman was born a slave, but escaped her predicament in 1849. You would think she would take every precaution to retain and enjoy her freedom. Instead, she chose to pay it forward in a meaningful way. Tubman would conduct a spate of missions to rescue slaves using the Underground Railroad. She encoded secret messages in popular slave songs to guide the slaves up north to freedom.
It is fair to say that some of the greatest heroes in history performed acts of incredible self-sacrifice in order to do the right thing. But heroism does not always need to exist on such a grand scale. Sometimes, simple acts of altruism can be very heroic. All around the world, everyday heroes perform acts of simple thoughtfulness, kindness, and selflessness. Although their actions may not revolutionize the world, they may make all the difference to a few individuals. Heroism is about doing something because it is the right thing to do. And when these everyday heroes choose to do the right thing, they might just inspire others to perform their own acts of heroism. Here are a few stories that instill hope in humanity.
On a cold winter day in New York City, Officer Lawrence DePrimo of the New York Police Department was out on patrol duty when he saw a homeless man sitting on the street. He noticed that the man wasn't wearing any shoes. DePrimo saw the blisters on the disadvantaged man’s feet. He thought about how cold he himself was in the bitter winter weather, even though he was wearing two pairs of socks and warm boots. Immediately, DePrimo walked to a nearby shoe store. He returned with a pair of $100 USD boots. “I have these size 12 boots for you,” said DePrimo. “Let’s put them on and take care of you.” The scene was captured by tourist Jennifer Foster who just happened to witness the event. Foster caught DePrimo's generosity on her cellphone camera. DePrimo thought he was performing an act of anonymous goodwill. Imagine how surprised he was to see his heartfelt actions on screens and newspapers around the world the next day!
One of the highlights of the 2016 Summer Olympics wasn't exactly a victory. New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin fell, causing American Abbey D’Agostino to fall with her. In an inspiring show of sportsmanship, D’Agostino helped Hamblin to her feet. Soon, D’Agostino collapsed onto the track. This time it was Hamblin who sacrificed her performance to help her fellow runner up. They were able to complete the race! For their camaraderie, they were awarded Fair Play Awards from the International Fair Play Committee.
In the spring of 2011, the prefecture of Fukushima in Japan suffered a massive nuclear disaster. The Skilled Veterans Corp was a group of 200 pensioners who volunteered to complete errands in the aftermath. They were retired engineers who took on the risks of radiation instead of the young. The radiation would have been less likely to develop into cancer within their lifetimes.
Ashley England’s 8-year-old son lives with epilepsy and is non-verbal. Several times when the family was out, Riley would cause scenes in public when he became frustrated or upset. The family was out at dinner when one of these scenes occured. Weary and frustrated, England tried to calm Riley down and eventually managed to get him to settle in his seat. She then noticed a server approaching their table with tears in her eyes. Smiling, the server passed England a message from another customer in the restaurant. She told England, “Your meal has been paid for, and he wanted me to give you this note.” On it, the stranger had written simply, “God only gives special children to special people.” Filled with gratitude, England began to cry. She couldn't believe the kindness of this complete stranger. Although England reached out to the public through various media outlets, she never did find out who the kind stranger was.
Do you think people should be publicly praised for random acts of kindness? Are acts of kindness done for fame less heartfelt? Should acts of kindness be anonymous, like in Secret Santa?