I read with great interest about the upcoming Olympics. I love sports because there are so many that I will never, ever try, much less be proficient at. Quite sure that rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline aren’t my sports. At 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds, I’d make a trampoline look like a funnel.
John Arnett
And a marathon race is no good for me. As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t run 26.2 miles unless I was chased by a werewolf. And a big one, at that.
Being of a competitive nature, I did box some in my youth, and I’ve played tennis for 50 long seasons. I’ve never been particularly good at either of them, but tennis hurts much less, so I stuck with it. I made my way to the tennis courts last week on a beautiful evening but saw as soon as I arrived that the courts were already full of good players. As I pulled into a parking space to turn around, I saw right beside me a curly-haired woman and a big man staring at the flat tire of their SUV.
He moved toward the vehicle’s hatch and started laying items out on the pavement to get to the spare tire. I know the disappointment of a sudden flat, so I was prepared for just such an event.
I hopped out of my truck, reached behind the seat and found a can of that tire sealant and inflator stuff that can fix a flat in three minutes. Great for emergencies and saving busted knuckles and bodily peril next to a busy highway.
In two long steps I was facing the curly-haired woman and handed her the can. She looked at it, then at me, then at the big man, then back at the can. She grasped what it was and how it would help their situation. She said “thanks” and I turned without speaking, clambered into the cab and drove away. I never said a word to either one of them. The whole affair lasted 30 seconds.
It took nearly a mile before I started laughing. I couldn’t help but wonder what they said to each other. There they are in falling darkness, looking at changing a flat tire, when a great big guy dressed in white short pants pulls up right next to them, hands them exactly what they need at just the right moment, then leaves without even speaking to them. The more I thought it over the more ridiculous it seemed. I imagined she would turn to the reprieved tire-changer and say “I didn’t expect wings, but I really thought a guardian angel would be better looking, you know? And those shorts!”
The enjoyment of pondering what they thought of my timely appearance was well worth the cost of a can of flat fixer.
Since we can’t take part in the Olympics, how about we do something fun here in Frankfort? From now until the end of the Olympics, only 40 days, try to actively look for a chance to help someone. And when you do, don’t say a word. Just perform an act of kindness, give an unexpected measure of generosity, make an offering of calmness and compassion. If you’ll do this, or you are the recipient of such an act, email me your story at the address below, I’ll share our experiences in this space in the near future (anonymously, of course.)
These acts benefit all of us. You’ll feel so good you’ll think you’re standing up on the winner’s podium. There won’t be any Olympic gold medals or endorsement deals for your good actions, but then you won’t have to appear on TV in a leotard or a Speedo, either.
John Arnett, of Frankfort, is a regular State Journal contributor, financial regulator in public service and a longtime coach for Frankfort Parks and Rec in the summer. He can be reached at bigdukeinky@icloud.com.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Thank you. Your purchase was successful.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Ends: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
Post a comment as
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.