The reward of traveling with a message of kindness for others is all the people you meet along the journey. We have such a wealth of wonderful people in this country. I talk to hundreds of people every day. I am blessed to have most of them share their most inner thoughts with me. The love of family and friends is one of life’s greatest rewards. One of my most powerful moments on this journey of kindness was meeting a mother, father, and daughter with such immeasurable love in their hearts for each other. In a half hours time, one could have learned lessons of love from this family, some of us will not learn in a lifetime. The power of caring for and looking after those we love cannot be measured. I believe the beautiful woman in this photo said she was a teacher. What perfection. We should all have had her as a teacher. I am thankful for this beautiful family letting me be a part of their lives even if for just a short while. I am forever enriched because of it.

On this Thanksgiving eve, I wish you find the passion of doing only good for others throughout your life.

It was one of those mornings that you cannot get yourself a cup of coffee fast enough. One foot in front of the other. I was doing computer work, in my own little world, deciding that the itinerary I need to choose should take me south of the Appalachians rather than north. This weather has been too good too long, and Bogart shivers when it’s 70 degrees outside. Just then a booming voice directed my way announced, “I just need to shake your hand”. I looked up to see this smiling man approach me. He and his wife had just read an article in the Athens Messenger about One Million Acts Of Kindness. They had all sort of praise for the Kindness Tour. Yesterday, when I jokingly told Joe Higgins and John Halley that the article needed to be front page and above the fold they must have thought I was serious. The article takes up more than half the entire front page. Thank you guys, for spreading the word to the community.

Deciding to buy a few copies for myself, I headed to the store. Inside, at the checkout, I was in line behind a pre-school teacher named Tammy. She says she teaches peace to her eleven students. What a great lesson to teach kids at an early age. She wouldn’t let me leave without a hug for kindness. I gave her a handful of stickers for her family and a stack of Kindness Rocks stickers for her students. In talking to Tammy, I could sense a true passion for teaching her students. What a great role-model she is.

Rio Grande, Ohio is to politeness what puppies are to happiness; if you have one the other is a given. The moment I pulled into town I met dozens of her residents. Three families as well. No one could get enough of Bogart, The Kindness Bus and the message. All were so respectful and genuinely interested in our well being. Matt Justice, a young father, insisted on buying lunch for the kindness crew. A mother with four of her five children, was so elated. Her children asked such fun questions. A family of six stayed near during most of my stop on the way to the campus. This campus located  a stone’s throw from the Bob Evans Homestead was in Thanksgiving break mode. There were very few students but it was well worth the visit. On the way out of town, the Rio Grande Municipal Building seemed to be calling. I parked the bus, grabbed Bogart, and went inside to find a clerk named Debbie who said she is going to do whatever it takes to spread this message. Yes‼ (Arm pump)

First stop on this late fall day is the Athens Police Department to see about getting special parking privileges for The Kindness Bus today. I didn’t quite know what to expect as I went in the door. A couple of stickers and a call to the Captain was all it took. I left holding the bag. The bag to cover the meter that is. I needed the closest space to the corner by the College Gate. This is the busiest corner in the city and the most visible as well. I was scheduled to be interviewed and photographed for the better part of the day, and no other location would do, as far as I was concerned. A professional writer, Vickie Elmer and professional photographer, Greg Ruffing were approved by AARP headquarters in Washington, to do an article on the mission of One Million Acts Of Kindness and it’s message. This is to be our biggest day to date as far as reaching a huge readership. The article will run in the beginning of 2010. Mid-morning, Joe Higgins, a writer for The Athens Messenger showed up with his photographer requesting an interview for an article. I told him as long as it was front page and above the fold, we would be good to go. Bogart is becoming a rock star. Move over Rin Tin Tin.

A steady stream of students had one thing on their minds today, finals. Most were pre-occupied with such things as quantum physics and nanotechnology. Some did however, take time out of their day to pet Bogart for good luck, and talk briefly to me. Most conversations were understandably shorter than I am accustomed to, but we made contact with about two hundred fifty students today. There were several students who agreed to take a stack of stickers home with them and start conversation about One Million Acts Of Kindness at Thanksgiving dinner. One student named Lisa was particularly enthusiastic. What a wonderful topic of conversation at Thanksgiving, kindness. Roberta a professor of Sociology at Ohio University came out of her way to tell me she thought One Million Acts Of Kindness was the coolest thing ever. Daniel, a student who had a final when he passed the bus initially, came back after his final to stop and talk about the great things possible by performing One Million Acts Of Kindness in one’s life.

To date, there have been over one hundred students who have made a verbal pledge to do one million acts of kindness in their lives. I wish I had documented their names as I traveled from campus to campus. Late today a student mentioned documenting in writing, the names of everyone pledging to accomplish this goal in their lives. He and two others, during the late afternoon, pledged in writing to challenge themselves to reach this greatest of goals. We will address this important new detail, and find a creative way to accomplish documentation for the individual. I am going to start listing the names at the end of each day’s blog. We can also add names to any previous blogs.

The following individuals have vowed to perform One Million Acts Of Kindness in their lives:

Daniel Continenza; Anna Wiederhold; Brittany Feda

This leisurely day was a great way to recharge. It was also a way of finalizing the Kindness Bus Tour itinerary until the end of the year. The OU campus has finals this week so it was quite quiet today. Nearly half of the students have finished their finals and left for the next six weeks. With a campus the size of this one, it still should be quite busy. Bogart got about three hours of great exercise, as we walked the campus before and after lunch. While walking, Bob in tow behind Bogart, as is usually the case, Bogart being his ever-impatient self as he hunts for squirrels happened upon a garden of beautiful flowers, of, you guessed it, impatiens. The title of today’s photo, Impatien(t)s is not a virtue!

The following is the itinerary for The Kindness Bus Tour;

Ohio University, University of Rio Grande, Bluefield College, Virginia Tech, Radford University, Emory & Henry College, Virginia Intermont College, King College, Milligan College, East Tennessee State University, Carson Newman College, Lee University, Southern Adventist University, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, The University of the South, Middle Tennessee State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Free Will Baptist Bible College, Tennessee State University, American Baptist College, and Vanderbilt University.

Today was to be a light day of interaction with students, with travel to Athens, Ohio for the next few days. It also afforded me the much needed time to plan my itinerary for the remainder of the year. When you drive a vehicle like the Kindness Bus, you never know what’s in store.  It’s like you are always in a parade. I suppose I should get the hand wave thing down one of these days. Before I left Marietta in the early afternoon, I must have had conversations with twenty or so people. Most were parents of children in the Marietta school system.  One parent who has children in lower school asked if I could speak at her children’s school. Another woman asked if I could address the High School regarding bullying issues. I hope I am able to get back to this area after the first of the year.

On recommendation of Ali from Marietta College, I headed for Court Street in Athens. She should work for the Chamber of Commerce, as she was spot on. There were kids everywhere. What a big hit the bus was, parked on a very busy street corner, near campus in Athens.  Bogart and I went for a walk in the College Green entering through the College Gate. We arrived back at the bus a half hour later to find a young man named Scott, standing in awe of the sight. He had a huge interest in the Kindness Tour and told me some great ways to live life. He is wise beyond his years.  A little later in the evening he tracked me down and gave me a book he had read. He instructed me to pass it along when I am through with it. Thank you Scott. While walking, a young woman said, you must be Bob and this must be Bogart.  This beautiful woman named Quadia, is from Delaware, the state, not the city in Ohio she said. She spoke as if I were saying the words. We agreed on every point we discussed. I invited her to write a My Comment page for the website when she has time. I can’t wait to post it already. She is a journalism major and a little creative writing is always welcome.

I walked toward the bus late tonight, from a couple of blocks away I noticed a large group of kids taking pictures of the bus. The Kindness Bus has now reached paparazzi status. First it’s Bogart, now it’s the bus. Works for me.