Compassion Rules...

A few of my recovery friends don't follow the news. They don't read newspapers, nor watch it on television. They say it's depressing and they'd rather have a more positive outlook upon the world.

I partly agree with them. However, bad news sells; that’s why there's an abundance of it. But in spite of that once in a while bad news also brings out the positive side of human nature.

An outstanding example occurred this week when a 68-year-old school bus monitor was harassed by middle school students. During a painful-to-watch ten minute video they taunted her with words like "fat," "stupid," "ugly." They told this grandmother of eight that if they were her children they would kill themselves. (This statement was especially hurtful because the woman's son committed suicide some 10 years earlier.)

It was an appalling story of mindless brutality. But the next day, when the woman appeared on network news for an interview, she was generous toward her tormentors. She didn't want them arrested. But viewers could feel the pain and anguish on her face.

At the end, the interviewer  asked if she knew that a fund had been set up for her on the Internet and that so far $160,000 had been donated.. She appeared overwhelmed and had tears in her eyes.

            "I can pay off my credit cards and my car," she said. What no one knew then was that the fund would grow.  Early today it had nearly $500,000 in it.

So one of the reasons I watch the news – other than wanting to keep up with the world – is that once in a while I find evidence of the positive side of human nature. Even though this woman was tortured by mindless children, people across this country showed their hearts.

While no one knows why children sometimes do things like this the public response shows there are kind and goodhearted people in our world.

Thankfully, compassion still rules.