Scatter Bits of Sunshine

Every Sunday in Portland there is an event to help the homeless and otherwise impoverished in Portland called Potluck in the Park. It's a meal served, not really in Potluck fashion, to whoever will come to it. Every week there is more food than needed and it's an amazingly happy time all around. Besides the food, they also give bouquets of flowers donated by near by stores. Most of these bouquets would otherwise be thrown away. My friend Kelly (pictured) and I had a great idea last night. After everyone had taken the flowers they wanted, we went in and took the rest. Why did we want these flowers? We didn't want them. We opened up all the bouquets and sorted out the flowers that were still nice. Once we had the "pick of the litter" we threw the rest away. Then we took to the streets.

We walked around the center of life and culture in downtown Portland; a place called Pioneer Square. Once there, we gave the flowers to Women, Young Ladies, and little girls who's paths we crossed. The responses we got were mixed. Some people looked worried, like we wanted something in return. Some people looked confused. I feel that most of them were genuinely happy about the experience. One girl said, "Thank you" then as we were walking away added, "You made my day". I was asked by a woman why we were doing it. With out a thought I said, "Because it's fun".

I saw a video recently of a man walking around giving people hugs. While watching it, I thought about how much fun it looked to just go around and scatter bits of sunshine like that, but, as the people that know me best know, I'm not at all okay with hugging random people. I get the feeling that there are a lot of other people in the world who, too, are not okay with hugging random people. So not to toot my own horn or anything, but I just think that my form of sunshine scattering is much better. It's just how I feel

I wish people would do random little things to scatter bits of sunshine around. It would make the world a better place. And I promise that if you do it, you'll quickly realize that it possibly makes you feel better than the people who's days your trying to brighten.

Don't believe me? 

Try it.