Stories of Kindness from Around the World

The Power Of A Good Example


--by wayfarer, posted Aug 13, 2011

This is the story of someone else's good example.

A retired gentleman who lives a few doors away from me can occasionally be seen with a bag and a "picker-upper." (You know. One of those long-handled gadgets for picking up litter.) 

He goes out by himself and plucks plastic bottles from the long grass, retrieves plastic bags from the bushes and disposes of pieces of wind-borne paper. He does it all cheerfully and never complains.

I mentioned the children in the nearby school who are probably responsible for some of that litter and he was nothing but charitable. "There will come a time when they know better," he said. "It's just not yet. So, I'll do it for them."

Well ... this morning I was out walking my neighbour's dog when I saw another neighbour, a much younger man, out doing the same thing!

He had his two young sons with him and they were having good fun trying to use the picker-upper. 

When I commented on what a good job he was doing he said, "Well, there's an older fellow in our street does this. And my friend and I thought it wasn't fair that he had to do it all the time, so now we take a turn."

Not only was he taking a turn, not only did he have a friend involved as well, but he was passing on the lesson to the next generation!

By the time I had returned the dog to my neighbour I looked again and his children's friends had joined in!

This man was teaching a whole group of young children that keeping their own street tidy and helping others in the process was a good and fun thing to do! An older man had set the example for him - and now he was passing it on.

It just goes to show we should be the change we want to see in this world. The older neighbour liked the place to be clean and tidy, so for years he tried to make it so. No doubt he wondered if folk thought him strange, but he kept on going. Now the next generation is doing what he did - and the generation to come after that!

Just a little example of the power of a good example!

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Readers Comments

sajia wrote: Yes. Its a nice story. I like it.
moral12 wrote: I have always been a firm believer in teaching by example. Your story illustrates this beautifully! Thanks for sharing.
lmil1954 wrote: I love this story!
bluxess wrote: The greatest actions are often those that come softly, firmly and with a sense to do the 'thing' for the community one belongs ... Glad to see people of younger generations take over ... Now this elderly gentleman can sit back and watch with a smile ... or, who knows, he's up with a new social activity to pass onto ...
unknown wrote: the power is that he didn't preach his intention, he lived it. He didn't bad-mouth others for their littering; he set about cleaning up the area, believing his work would be noticed and followed in kind some day. What a powerful lesson and thank you for sharing it.
FairyBubbles wrote: That is wonderful - I would love to meet that gentleman - he could teach me so much.
MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: What a great post wayfarer! We do indeed learn from great examples we see, including wonderfully kind people like you! :)
heartofflesh wrote: He speaks through his work and it sounds very beautiful...God bless him and you for sharing the same...
Neen27 wrote: That guy is awesome! I love this story! Thank you for sharing :)
Aurelia wrote: How lucky for you to witness this wonderful Ripple!!!! Proof that our actions speak louder than words :0) Smiles Are Contagious...~Aurelia

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