On a recent thread, I said i wasn't going to post anymore. Well I lied, was mistaken, talked into returning... whatever. As long as my friends here outweigh the enemies, I will stay!
After spending a couple of days not posting, and doing alot of thinking while staying busy in the shop, I realized what it is really all about.
It isn't about who makes the best, or coolest pen. It isn't about who has the cheapest blanks, or where to get the newest tools. It isn't about who breaks the rules.
What it is about is help. I help this guy, This guy helps me, We help this chick, She helps some dude, and on and on and on. One of our members tries his hardest to remind all of us every time he posts. He literally types in his tagline every single time he posts. It isn't in his signature, where it is automatic for all of us to read.... NO, That would negate the entire point. It is in the body of his message, which means he types it out every single time. To remind himself, and us, of what it is all about. And it is simple.
His tagline has inspired me to start a new game. "RAK-ing". RAK is an acronym for Random Act of Kindness.
I challenge EVERYONE that reads this to go out of your way to RAK someone.
How it works:
To RAK someone, you must simply perform a random act of kindness for a stranger. It could be someone on the site, or someone in your day to day life.
What you win:
KARMA POINTS! ( and a warm fuzzy feeling inside).
Good examples:
Pay an extra toll at the toll road (one of my favorites)
Pull over and help someone change a flat tire
Take ice cold waters to someone working or living in the heat
Take your neighbor to lunch
give someone a small flat rate box of your giant stash of pen blanks
donate your extra or old tools to a new turner, or local turning club, high school shop class
teach a kid how to make a pen
There are lots of ways to RAK people. I like to try to come up with off the wall ways to do it. Give an exuberant tip to a carhop or push a bunch of karts in at wal mart. Sometimes, i even get stopped in the process and some people look at me like i am crazy, but it is hot outside, and some dude has to push all these stinking karts in, and I am going that way anyway...
Just something to think about next time you stop at the convenience store and there is a guy across the street running a jackhammer in the 105 degree heat. I bet it would make his day if you got him a fountain cup of ice and a bottle of water!
After spending a couple of days not posting, and doing alot of thinking while staying busy in the shop, I realized what it is really all about.
It isn't about who makes the best, or coolest pen. It isn't about who has the cheapest blanks, or where to get the newest tools. It isn't about who breaks the rules.
What it is about is help. I help this guy, This guy helps me, We help this chick, She helps some dude, and on and on and on. One of our members tries his hardest to remind all of us every time he posts. He literally types in his tagline every single time he posts. It isn't in his signature, where it is automatic for all of us to read.... NO, That would negate the entire point. It is in the body of his message, which means he types it out every single time. To remind himself, and us, of what it is all about. And it is simple.
His tagline has inspired me to start a new game. "RAK-ing". RAK is an acronym for Random Act of Kindness.
I challenge EVERYONE that reads this to go out of your way to RAK someone.
How it works:
To RAK someone, you must simply perform a random act of kindness for a stranger. It could be someone on the site, or someone in your day to day life.
What you win:
KARMA POINTS! ( and a warm fuzzy feeling inside).
Good examples:
Pay an extra toll at the toll road (one of my favorites)
Pull over and help someone change a flat tire
Take ice cold waters to someone working or living in the heat
Take your neighbor to lunch
give someone a small flat rate box of your giant stash of pen blanks
donate your extra or old tools to a new turner, or local turning club, high school shop class
teach a kid how to make a pen
There are lots of ways to RAK people. I like to try to come up with off the wall ways to do it. Give an exuberant tip to a carhop or push a bunch of karts in at wal mart. Sometimes, i even get stopped in the process and some people look at me like i am crazy, but it is hot outside, and some dude has to push all these stinking karts in, and I am going that way anyway...
Just something to think about next time you stop at the convenience store and there is a guy across the street running a jackhammer in the 105 degree heat. I bet it would make his day if you got him a fountain cup of ice and a bottle of water!