This just keeps getting better! The opportunity to get a hug from a Parking Officer, doesn’t happen too often. Carpe diem when it does. Vanessa, from the NYPD, who was walking her appointed rounds, stopped in her tracks upon seeing The Kindness Bus. “This is something, that something good is coming from”.    Let me tell you, I could have parked my bus in the middle of The George Washington Bridge and gotten away with it today.
Paul, who worked in the Department of Education during the Clinton Administration, happened upon our bus. He also worked as a Principal in the Bronx. He said that this is what kids want when asked. They just want people to know who they are and to be cared about, in a civil way. Paul took several stickers to spread the word of our mission to friends.
The Kindness Bus worked both sides of town today, but primarily on the Upper West Side. We had a great location on Broadway and 88th, another neighborhood filled with families walking the streets. Martin, a young man who left a big care package for Bogart a week back, met with me to discuss strategy about lending support to The Kindness Bus Tour. With all of this added to the hundreds of people we talked with, it truly was, a Super Size Day.

Bogart worked his magic with everyone yet again, including New York’s Finest. We headed to this part of town, one of the busiest in the city. Finding the last spot to park was magic, one truck pulling out as I headed in. So here we are in Rockefeller Center, the very heart of Manhattan, Bogart making friends with nearly everyone who passes by. Being able to position The Kindness Bus in an area like this gives us high exposure. Bogart and I worked the morning shift and Sara, the newly appointed State of California Kindness Ambassador, joined us for most of the afternoon shift. Our main objective was to promote the Kindness Certificate. Sara and Bogart were a team, working in tandem to promote One Million Acts Of Kindness. One family from Huntsville, Alabama, and a travel companion of theirs, was all it took for me to know that we are on the right track with this mission. They were in awe of the thought of having a goal like this in their lives. A local resident, Miriam, had just had lunch with her daughter, their conversation was about this world needing a global kindness movement. Unbelievable!!

Anytime Bogart can start the day running freely in a dog park, it is a good thing. Along the East River are two great parks for dogs. Bogart now knows where they are and loves being able to run  until he can no longer take another step. He runs with the big dogs and puts himself in charge of all of them.     We headed into Central Park and ended up at Daniel Webster’s statue. This point is a triangle formed by two roads and it is a great spot for lots of walkers. We talked to hundreds of people and then headed back to the Upper East Side. The moment we stepped off The Kindness Bus, Carlos, a man who worked nearby came to hear of our message. He was immediately struck and is going to help to spread our message to everyone in his family. The Upper East Side, although separated from The Upper West Side by Central Park, is in tune just as much as any area on Manhattan. We worked until nightfall, which is beginning earlier as the days go by. Many small successes today, which will be big successes in the not to distant future. Small acts of kindness will be taking hold in the lives of millions. Our mission is being defined as it unfolds.

Whoa! Bogart they like you.
Sometime last week the 4,000th fan joined our Facebook group. In a little over 11months, the interest in One Million Acts Of Kindness has grown a very large, loyal following. The faces of all of these people are a beautiful array of nearly every nationality in the world. A microcosm of humanity.
Today we spent most of our day searching for high visibility on the Upper West Side of the city. Searching is probably the wrong word, as tens of thousands strode past the locations we parked The Kindness Bus. From the high 80s to the low 60s and Central Park West to Broadway. Every corner and street in this quadrant is full of foot and street traffic. We put a full day on the Upper West Side and then ended the day by working the Upper East Side. Bogart’s fans are everywhere. We talked to many new ones today.

This evening, in New York City, I had the pleasure of meeting, for the 2nd time, Bianca from New Zealand. She was one of over 900 people on the University of Delaware campus I met in one day’s time almost 2 weeks ago. So here is this young woman who is half-way around the world and she runs into The Kindness Bus Tour, 2 separate times, 10 days apart and in 2 different areas of the United States. Needless to say, she is now the One Million Acts Of Kindness ambassador in New Zealand.  Ain’t it grand?
An early, cool, wet Autumn has settled over New York City for most of the past 10 days, taking me inside once again. Today the Natural History Museum provided the necessary shelter from the elements. My new-found California Kindness Ambassador, Sara, accompanied me and was a natural at interacting with museum visitors, promoting One Million Acts Of Kindness as if she has been doing it all her life, I’m convinced she has. Sara talked with nearly every family who passed our way.
A big thanks goes out to Mike from the parking garage and guest services at the museum. Both of these men went out of their way to lend The Kindness Bus Tour a helping hand. The friendliness of this town is awesome.

Bogart, even as good as he is, could use a blessing now and then. So on this day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, Bogart and I headed to a local ceremony for want of a long healthy life for my trusty companion. This weekend was amazing, as are all weekends in New York City. The interest of people from all walks of life are so much in favor of seeing One Million Acts Of Kindness become a success. Being in this city and having the opportunity to interact with people from across the world helps to spread the word globally.
The paparazzi were out in full force this entire weekend. I’ll bet there were nearly a thousand pictures snapped of The Kindness Bus. Bogart should have an agent to help with the sudden rise to fame he is experiencing. I met so many very nice people this weekend wanting to lend their time and expertise to help with this very important mission. Sara, a woman visiting from California, is so excited about the future possibilities of One Million Acts Of Kindness and it’s possibility of helping to change the world for the better, immediately agreed to help this mission, for the long term. Another great weekend in The Big Apple.

The Dr. Edmond Horan, View School in Harlem, has a very dedicated staff working to educate special needs students. I met Guidance Counselor, Evan Weiss this past weekend and he immediately saw a need for The Kindness Bus Tour to visit his school. I was one of two speakers at an assembly for the entire student body, sharing the stage with, Bud Jeffries, a very inspirational speaker. His message is very powerful one for the students; he is a internationally ranked “strong man” and performs feats of strength as he imparts his great message to the students. I was inspired as well, I think it’s time for Bogart to start pumping iron.
Thank you to everyone involved in making our visit to this campus become a reality.
New York City is one big opportunity for The Kindness Bus Tour. I am able to talk with people from all parts of the world. The invitations to visit various groups happens on nearly a daily basis in this city. I have decided to stay through mid-October before starting to head south to Florida before winter sets in.
Hurricane Nicole is changing the outdoor plans of nearly everyone in New York, making the name Nicole a very unpopular one along most of the eastern seaboard. I wonder if there has ever been a Hurricane Bogart? I think I’ll Google it.