On the Other Hand...

In a completely different if not polar opposite vein from my earlier post today, I have been struck with an idea for a new blog, one which hopefully will show how a simple act of kindness can maybe bring a little peace, love, and harmony back into our daily grind.

At a bar a few nights ago, I witnessed an interaction between two strangers, a man and a woman, both mid to late 20s, neither of particularly astonishing looks (either good or bad). The man approached the woman with a bit of small talk, she responded in kind. But when he attempted to move into the "now I'm officially hitting on you" range, she quickly turned into a viper, flinging mean bits of dialogue his way that clearly got under his skin and poisoned the conversation.

I was quietly horrified - what happened to the good old days of politely rebuked romantic overtures? Isn't there a way to tell someone "I'm taken" or "sorry, not interested" without partaking in a full-fledged verbal assault? Surely there's a way to tell someone "no" without tearing their self-confidence into itty-bitty tiny little shreds and strewing them across the floor for everyone in the room to step on.

(And no, I'm not talking about that sleazeball who sidles up to any girl he can get close to and makes lewd comments - that guy deserves a good dressing down.)

Then I started looking at my friends and colleagues and realizing that this isn't just a gender-based matter. Somewhere along the Gossip Girl-soaked line, our society has learned that having "frenemies" and being nasty to one another is a more fun, admirable, and socially if not morally sound way to live life.

A bit of self-deprecation and fun-poking can be healthy, but we've fallen so far down the rabbit hole of rude behavior that calling a girlfriend a bitch or a well-meaning potential suitor a moron is not only acceptable, it's considered amongst many to be the highest form of wit. Your social standing is only raised by another person's being brought down low.

And it bums me out.

So I wanna do something about it.

My idea won't change the world, and it's doubtful that even a handful of people will read the blog, but I want to start a blog/site where I take the time, each and every day for the next year (yes, another "365 Days" sort of endeavor...what can I say, they're popular) to pick a person and say something nice about them.

It doesn't have to be earth-shattering. The person doesn't need to be a saint or the inventor of penecillan (good thing, since that would end my work at Day One). I'll probably choose a lot of friends and family, but I'll also sprinkle in some love for passing acquaintances or even complete strangers. Hell, maybe even a celebrity or two, if I feel like it.

But before I begin, I'd be muy interested in hearing some feedback from y'all. A good endeavor? Even if no one ever reads the thing, I've gotta think that hearing that someone said something nice about you for no apparent reason has to make you feel good - right? Or just creepy? Would YOU be weirded out?