This is the Thirty-third article in a permanent column for Stroud Arts that appears in the Stroud American. The mission of these articles is to inform, educate and inspire you, the reader to Make Art Happen in your life and the life of our community.
‘A lesson is taught or caught.’ - Bob Grider. Bob was a supervisor of mine back in the mid 1990’s and he was referring to how children, or anyone for that matter, learns. A person learns from either official instruction (taught) or by observing (caught) and either imitating or not making others’ mistakes.
I knew upon first hearing those words that I was being taught a powerful life lesson and that I needed to be mindful of what I was teaching others, whether by knowledgeable impartation of information or just by my actions.
Actions speak louder than words as they display what we deeply feel or think without the social filter of verbal communication. That brings us to this week’s column and how to implement the advice from last week’s column which was titled ‘Adapt, Overcome, Improvise’ and was inspired by the 1986 Clint Eastwood movie ‘Heartbreak Ridge.’
This week I want to give you some information and advice about putting those words into action by following the virtue of ‘Kindness.’ Yes, kindness is a virtue and in the Code of Knighthood it was called ‘Generosity.’ I’ll also throw in another quote from one of my favorite movies from the 1980s.
First, some information as provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
‘According to the Mayo Clinic, a leader in healthcare, acts of kindness aren’t just good for the soul, they are good for the body too. When we participate in acts of kindness our body releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps regulate our social and emotional response. The more oxytocin released, the more generous, kind and peaceful you are likely to feel. In addition, higher amounts of oxytocin is associated with less stress and better sleep.’
So now that we know why kindness is important, how can you practice kindness or the Knightly Virtue of Generosity? According to the Lincoln County Health Department and the CDC you can;
1 Stay at Home.
2 Practice Social Distancing.
3 Practice Handwashing and Personal Health Hygiene.
4 Individuals who are sick should self-isolate from the public and other household members for 14 days.
The need for staying at home is especially difficult on the young and energetic and in an effort to give the older and not so energetic a break, Stroud Arts will be hosting a Monday-Friday Facebook livestream Bedtime Story. The livestream will begin at 7:45pm and end by 8pm (depending on the length of the story). All stories are family friendly fairy tale classics and are in the Public Domain.
A new story will be told every night, Monday-Friday and we hope to see you there.
In closing remember that being kind is the opposite of being mean and in the immortal words of Buckaroo Banzai - ‘Hey, Hey, hey. Don’t be mean. We don’t have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go… there you are.’