Did You Just Pass It On?! I Sure Did!

Before I say what I'd like to say, this is what my friend, Rachel, had to say about today's adventure:

This morning, walking around Columbus in the rain passing out those cards to people was honestly more amazing than I could have hoped for. It was one of those experiences that I was truly proud and happy to be a part of. To see people's faces light up by something so small and simple, was a lifting feeling. Of course there were negative reactions, but that was completely blown away by the positive reactions we got. Who knew that by making someone smile, if even for a moment, could make you feel (as Bre put it) "better than any drug".   -Rachel

As I said in today's earlier post, Rachel and I headed to downtown Columbus to try to spread a little joy. With our Happy Cards in tow (saying "Smile...Pass It On", "Have a Great Day!", or "Just Sayin' HI" on one side, and "Be The Change..." on the other), we took to the streets. We knew beforehand that some people probably wouldn't want them, and too that there would be people who would look at us like we were crazy- trompin' around, smiling, and giving nothing but a little piece of posterboard away. We gave out 246 cards in 45 minutes, and the reception was unbelievable.

First, we parked way too far from where we actually wanted to be (sorry, Rach), and it was raining...just drizzling at first, but full on raining for the last twenty minutes of it. When we started walking into the thick of downtown, we said, "Where are all the people?!" I'll bet we saw maybe a dozen human beings in the first five blocks headed that direction. "Ohhh...they're all in the Nationwide cafeteria!" Passing a string of windows, there were nine million people eating their lunch indoors. Poop. We were so hopeful that we were picking a great time to be there- lunch hour on a Monday. Not so much. For the first and last ten minutes, it was a struggle to even find someone to give a card to. We hit as many as we could- guys dressed as hot dogs, people waiting for the bus, construction workers, homeless people, grandmas, parking attendants, a fitness center receptionist, petition walkers, environmental activists, professionals, a security guard.

When we got where we wanted to split up (take opposite sides of the street), I had my first encounter with a genuine smile, before I had even given a card away. While waiting for my turn to cross the street, Rachel gave her first one to a woman she passed on the crosswalk, headed toward the guys dressed as hotdogs. As Rachel kept walking, the woman hesitated for a moment when she reached the sidewalk near me. Looking at the card, and then putting it in her pocket, her smile was so gentle, appreciative. Indeed. That's why we're here...game on.

My first encounter in the crosswalk was a man who waved me on, wanting nothing to do with my joy. Well, fine. A little disconcerting to start, but we press on. I walked toward a security guard on patrol near an office building. "I can't take anything while I'm on duty," he said firmly. "It just says 'Have a Great Day!'" "I understand, but I really can't take anything..." He looked down at the front of the card I was holding, reached for it, then pulled back. "I'm sorry, I can't," he said sadly. "Okay. Well...have a great day!" I said as I turned to move on. He yelled from behind me, "Thank you! You too! Really, have a great day! A great day!" I turned back around to wave, as he did the same. I sigh even now as I write this. It was fantastic.

Though there were many people who veered away from us in crosswalks, or turned their heads, or scowled, or waved us on, there were far more people who were undeniably affected in a wonderful way. A homeless woman cried, when she read her card that said "Just Sayin' HI". Countless people yelled, "God bless you!" as we smiled and walked on. Several stopped abruptly, looked up and said, "I really needed this...thank you." We got more smiles than we thought possible. I even ran into a man later who had already gotten one and thanked me again. I gave a card to a college student who was petitioning for environmental protection, and upon reading "Be The Change" on the back of the card, he asked my name and introduced himself. He said, "We do something a lot like this on campus. People need this. You keep on doin' it." We will certainly do this again.

A man was standing outside a teeny little cafe-type restaurant on a cell phone. I handed him a card, and as I walked away, he yelled, "No, come back! You come in, please!" I was thinking instantly about how I didn't have any money to spend in this place...I felt terrible. As I walked up to the door, I said, "I'm sorry, I really don't have any money to get anything- I wish I did." His partner working behind the counter began pouring something in little Dixie cups and said, "No, no. We give you something, because you give us something. Here you go- for you and your friend." I couldn't believe it. He wanted nothing. He had just made banana smoothies and wanted us to have something in return. "Have good day! Happy juicing to you!" he yelled as I thanked him and went to give a cup to Rachel. I believe the place was called L'Arrat, on a corner on Front St near the convention center. Wonderful guys.

We hit the North Market on our way back, and as I was handing cards to three teenage girls standing together in front of a counter, the man behind the counter handed one to the third girl before I got to her. Rachel had obviously already given him a card. It said "Smile...Pass It On". I said, "Did you pass that on?!" He replied, "I sure did!", smiling broadly. We high-fived, of course. I couldn't help but see that it was already working. People really did care...a lot.

We made our way back to the car just before the meter ran out, soaking wet, blisters on my feet (stupid flip flops). We talked about how great it was when people gave back to us what was on the card they got- a big, flashy smile from a smile card, which always made us laugh, "Well, hi! Thank you!" from a hello card, and "YOU have a great day!" from our cards wishing that for them. It was phenomenal. As I started the car, the radio was on, and a popular song came on in the middle of the chorus. He sang:

Ain't got no money, but we got heart
We're gonna rattle this ghost town...


[If you, or anyone you know, received one of these cards in Columbus today, I'd love to hear from you. Thank you to all the wonderful people in downtown Columbus who made our day. Peace and love to all.]

Be The Change