Bogart is becoming a character in his own book series. How could anyone not want to read about Bogart and all of his travels and adventures?  The first book is nearly written and some preliminary illustrations are being drawn. The many fun stories which happen along our travels will be told to amuse children of all ages. These early reader books will help create a bond between the child and parent, teacher, or caregiver. The first book will introduce Bogart and tell of how he bounced from home to home before he and I found each other.

Heading west through the hills of western Pennsylvania, the weather began to lift, allowing me to make a short visit to this college. With classes starting in a week, this campus has begun to see the return of it’s students.  Devi Wintrode, director of campus ministries, met me on her way to her office. She was excited at the thought of another year beginning. She took a stack of stickers to pass to her students. David and Dabney, two students were admiring the bus were I happened upon them. They thought The Kindness Bus Tour was a great way to reach students across the country. A few of the marching band members expressed the same sentiment a while later. The visit to this small private college was a welcoming event. Thanks to all.

Three simple words…… Plant a Tree.   But it says a lot about the hope for a brighter tomorrow. Every generation wants to create something for the future. Something which stands for improving the world on many levels, as an individual or an entire generation. The young man who wrote these words is about 12 yrs old, with a lifetime of planting trees ahead of him. Planting trees of caring for mankind and the environment from a young, kind heart. This is the wish of this younger generation. It is an insurance policy for the uncertainty that the future holds. An act of kindness which will bear fruit for generations to come. Everyone should,   “Plant a tree, in fact, plant an entire forest of trees.”
Cental Park, near the entrance to Strawberry Fields, always offers a melting pot of individuals and families from across the world, tens of thousands of them for me to interact with. I love New York.

What happened? Wasn’t it just May?
New York City seems that it is filled with college students, getting their last week or two of summer break in before the new school year starts. I have met hundreds of students from schools across the country this past week. It is such a pleasure to see the wide interests these students have. It is also a pleasure to see the passions they have for so many of those in need. Students tackling big issues across the globe with great abandon. I am impressed. On Thursday morning there was more than usual of these students with their “heads on straight.” Two students from Quinnipiac University, Vanessa and Amanda, stopped by The Kindness Bus to get a detailed account of my travels and to get a photo account of every detail on the bus. With young adults such as them, it is encouraging to know that they will help to guide the direction in which this world is heading.
Once again, The Kindness Bus, Bogart and Bob are having great success at the corner of West 72nd & Central Park West. Thank you to all the “locals” who say what a pleasure it is to have The Kindness Bus Tour in their neighborhood.