Random Acts of Kindness - Fanart and Feeling Good on a Bad Day · 8:16am Mar 15th, 2019
The simplest and smallest of kindnesses can have profound effects. It's a point that I often make in my writing because I think that it's one of the most important points to make. When I look around and see so many people finding only the darkness in the world, I can't help but want to show them how beautiful the world is, and how the littlest thing can turn a bad day around.
As usual, I pull from my own experiences.
My job is a difficult one. It's also rewarding, wonderful, and I love it, but that doesn't mean that I don't have difficult days. Lately it's been a string of difficult weeks where the deck seems rather stacked against me. Let me give you one example.
One of the things that my office covers in its work is fighting human trafficking. It's an epidemic in my locale, and (since my office is about facilitating contact between various charities, clinics, and other resources), a considerable part of my work lately has been taken up with working out just what we can do to spread awareness, get local community and church leaders trained up, and just make the resources known. One of the biggest impediments to this, unfortunately, happens to be local government. What do I mean by that? Well, it seems that the powers-that-be have decided that they need to spend absurd amounts of money on public works projects for beautification (park expansions; that sort of thing) but not on financing an anti-trafficking task force that would cost literally a fraction of the beautification projects. Don't get me wrong; parks are a big deal for the community and we should take them seriously. But if we can't police it when 12-year olds are being forced to have sex, does our community deserve nice parks? To call the law enforcement officers currently assigned to the task a 'skeleton crew' would be an exaggeration. There aren't enough of them to constitute a skeleton crew, and the poor guys are running themselves ragged. They do their best, and it's not their fault, but they're hilariously understaffed.
That's frustrating enough, but I don't have the luxury of fury. Why? Because I'm in charge of my office, and I need to be practical. I can be angry, but it has to burn cold and practical. I have to set an example for everyone else, keep them on track, and direct all their well-meaning outrage into focusing on what we can do. I need to remind them that, realistically, fixing this is bigger than all of us and is going to be a slow burn, so we just need to handle the little bit that we can. That's not an easy sell with outraged people, especially when the outrage is justified. I spend so much time wrangling the moral outrage of an eclectic bunch of energetically angry folks that, by the time I get out of a meeting, I feel like I've just spent the last couple hours auditioning to play Colonel Potter in a M*A*S*H reboot. I think I'm even starting to look like Harry Morgan.
Now, again, I love my job (and Harry Morgan as Col. Potter), but I need an emotional boost now and then to help me smile and see the day in a positive light. To put it another way, I sometimes need to be reminded of the good things in life so that I can put a bad day in perspective and smile genuinely.
What does this have to do with fanart? Well, picture the following scene if you will. I get home, after a long and tiring day of being Colonel Potter, looking something like this...
...I sit down, pull up fimfiction, and see that True Edge (bless him) has reviewed the last fight scene. But, more than that, I see that he's put up some fanart...
...which is, to my knowledge, the first fanart anyone has ever done of my work.
Abruptly I went from looking like this:
To looking more like this:
I might have actually emitted an audible 'SQUEE.' There were no witnesses, so it can't be verified, and I was too distracted by being happy to make note, but it may well have happened.
It's incredible the effect that a simple, random act of kindness can have. The fact that my art inspired someone else to make art is beyond inspiring to me. The beauty of art, true art, is that it is a life-giving exercise. In it we become sub-creators. So, if by my giving life to something I have prompted someone else to give life to something... that's very moving. And it improved my mood enough that I was able to take stock of my day and accept my status as Colonel Potter with a proud smile rather than a roll of my eyes.
So here's to you, True Edge. Thanks for the artwork. And to all of you out there, never stop looking for little ways to breathe life into the world. You have more power to affect change than you realize. Start small, be deliberate and intentional in building a habit of little acts of goodness, and in time you and those around you will be transformed in ways you could never have imagined.
Oh, my . . . I can’t . . . I dunno what to say! Thank you? You’re welcome? I suppose both are correct, but neither feel adequate. I literally have no idea what to say. I’m so glad I could help brighten your day, as you’ve brightened mine on more than one occasion, Antiquarian. Seriously, I can’t quantify the amount of love I have for your story, truly. Thank you for writing it, and thank you for being the awesome guy that you are. I’m gonna leave it at that, before I trip over the knot in my tongue, right now.
Harmonia Invictus!
Y'know, now people are going to be throwing fan-art at you.
Wow, that's neat. It's always nice to see fan art for great stories. I'd send some of my own, but I can only draw dinosaurs and your story doesn't have dinosaurs.
I can send words of support, though. We're always here if you need someone to talk to, and we'll support you every step of the way. I pray the situation where you are improves so you and your fellows can do their jobs thoroughly and effectively, and that you find more enjoyment to get through the day.
Recieving recursive fanwork is indeed an incredible feeling. I'd offer some myself, but... well, there's a reason I write. Still, awesome stuff from 5028122. Thanks for sharing it.
Reminds me of the old saying, God does not demand of us great things, only small things done with great love. Thank you for sharing this, and for the job you do in a world that does not seem to care. Prayers for you (And thanks True Edge!) Remember that God always shows his strength through our powerlessness!
Sounds like a rough life, and possibly a dangerous one. I'm a little impressed that you can create in those circumstances, and without your (justified) anger seeping into your works. Keep fighting the good fight!
And it is good to hear how much doing something "small" like doing fanart or leaving a comment can brighten someone's day. A good thing to remember if one is ever feeling insignificant is how much good one can do for another through small and simple means.
5028179
Drawing dinosaurs is hardly an amount of talent to be ashamed of. That sounds really freaking cool, actually.
To make sure you are aware, your stories are also a small good thing that helps people see the beauty in the world.
Burning without burning out is very difficult, and moreso to help others do the same. Thank you for keeping the lighthouse going.
5028156
That's not a bad thing.
5028209
It's not dangerous for me; I'm just a facilitator. The danger is for the civilian volunteers and the law enforcement officers they work with who actually go in to get girls out. To my knowledge, the civilians aren't armed, but they go anyway. As far as people-needing-God's-protection go in my city, they're pretty close to the top of the list.
And, for the record, my anger does seep into my words. It's just a controlled and righteous anger directed towards a worthy purpose. Why do you think Song's backstory involves fighting trafficking?
5028179
5028208
Thanks for the prayers!
5028184
5028211
5028122
Thank you for the ongoing support!
5028122
5028316
Haha, looks like this act of kindness just begot more acts of kindness.
Oh, well, I don’t really know what to say. Trafficking doesn’t exactly come up in my everyday life.
Well, the only thing I can really say is good luck, and may providence smile upon you.
And I’d say that governments crumble under the face of public pressure, so if you somehow manage to get on the news or spread in the social media, that might do something. Sounds like one of those easier said than done things, though.
Harmonia et Aequitas Superabit
P.S. I do believe there was an EqG song about small acts of kindness: “Good Vibes”, I think it was?
AQ, there's a reason I'm reading every single one of your stories. There's a living, live-giving quality in them that's hard to quantify and impossible to teach or replicate. My prayers go with you and your comrades.
5028208
This right here.
5028714
Thank you kindly!
5028714
We need more genuine Christian horsewords and no LARP crap.
Jeeze. It's been a long five years, but re-reading this put a smile on my face again. I need to get back to work on this site.