Nice RAK

Small kindnesses are undervalued. It's been my experience that little things can mean an awful lot. Even the tiniest of compliments have been known to drastically improve a person's day. That's why this weekend I'll be holding the 2nd Annual Random Acts of Kindness Awards. I'll be on the lookout for people who display random acts of kindness (RAK) and present them with a well-deserved prize for their good deed.

Though I consider last year's RAK Awards a success, I would like to take this opportunity to ask readers' opinions of how to make this year's event better. I must admit, I was a little surprised at some of the negative reactions of some of last year's female recipients. While most male winners seemed excited to get their awards, a few of the girls didn't seem to appreciate the honor and I'm not sure why. Here are some brief descriptions of a few such instances... maybe they'll shed some light on what went wrong:

April 20:

I spot a young lady going out of her way to open the door for an elderly man at Starbucks. Good deed. I rush across the street to give her a prize. I say, "Excuse me, miss... I noticed your RAK from across the street and just wanted you to know that it's appreciated." She slapped my face and stormed off, leaving me with a venti amount of judging stares from the Starbucks crowd.

April 21:

In the park, I notice a woman interrupt her jog to collect some garbage that was strewn across the ground and put it in a nearby trashcan. "Nice RAK," I yell out from the bench where I was sitting. "I'd really like to reward it," I add. She gives me the middle finger and runs away at Usain Bolt-like pace. Unkind, mon.

April 22:

Two elderly ladies with whom I work compliment my new shirt. "Why you thank you, ladies," I say. "Please accept these awards for your kindness. It's a small token of appreciation for the lovely RAKs you two display around here every day," I gush. The ladies both scold me. One of them retires.

I don't know where I went wrong.

Obviously this is a ridiculous (and extremely juvenile) post. There are no RAK Awards and I don't go around spouting double entendres at the fairer sex. However, the gift of kindness is an easy one to spread, so why not go out of your way to do something nice for someone else every once in a while? It's like the great philosophers Bill and Ted say... "Be excellent to each other."