Small Acts

Over a lifetime a person gets to know him/herself fairly well, at least it is my experience. I have learned that change is generally a series of micro-events that coalesce be big events. The civil rights act was propelled by the smaller acts of thousands or perhaps millions of people who lent their support to assist those who were being persecuted. The election of Barack Obama is probably a similar phenomena as people really are changing their mind about who is "leader" material. Certainly those of us who are on the tail end of the Baby Boom and those Gen X, Y, and now the Millennials have different experiences where race is concerned.

But a different sort of sea change is fomenting and that is a call to be of service. I hear many more people giving their time to causes, but it is more than that. For instance, there is a man on the bus I ride that makes it a point to run ahead of the other riders who get off at a particular stop and open a door for every one. And the very cool thing is that other people have begun holding a second door open for the person behind them and making eye contact to acknowledge that person's humanity.

Now actions like that some would say are politenesses, not harbingers of a larger change. I say that people are actively looking for ways to matter. It is likely what got President Obama elected. Certainly it is what got thousands of people to help clean up a flood in Iowa.

It is a number of small acts that are adding up to a tidal wave of change in our world. We are living in a truly remarkable time.