Make a difference, even it it's a small one.

I'm a rather cynical bastard most of the time, but every once in a while I read a bit of news that actually makes me happy. Not even just happy, but sometimes I see something that gives me a little more hope for this wretched condition known as "humanity". Lately, the news I've been enjoying the most has been stories about people taking the initiative to make a difference in their community, rather than waiting for the government/authorities/God/powers-that-be/"someone else" to swoop down and make things better for them.

For instance, last month Maureen over at Lets Take the One wrote a great entry on adopting a bike lane. Basically she was sick of all the glass and debris littering the 4th Street trail under IH-35, and rather than sit around complaining has taken it upon herself to bring a broom and clean it on a weekly basis. She's not going through a city program, or looking for any form of compensation, or anything of the sort. She's simply picking up a tool and doing the job herself. Mo', you freaking rule.

Similarly, Jenn of the Onelescar blog recently had a near miss on that tiny stretch of Barton Springs Road between South 1st and Riverside, due to a non-signaling driver crossing over a lane and nearly right hooking her. Rather than just bitching about what happened, she resolved to contact the city over the issue on a daily basis until they did something about it. As of this morning they're actively looking into the problem. They even asked Jenn what she would suggest as a fix to the issue of poor street markings and a lack of enforcement in the area. Hell yeah Jenn, way to take ownership of a problem and see the it through!

Oftentimes fixing the small things seems futile. Even if Mo' sweeps every Sunday, by Monday chances are another bum will have broken a bottle in the vicinity. Even if Jenn gets them to re-paint the stripes or have a cop sit out there for a couple days, the pain will fade and after a short while the cop will move on to harass other citizens. They're not getting paid, for the most part the act is thankless, and if they don't keep at it the trail or intersection will quickly return to its' original condition, but still they soldier on. Why? I don't know, but to me improving our surroundings is just the right thing to do, and I love seeing people do the right thing for that reason alone. In her message Maureen urges everyone else to do something to make a difference, and I'd like to echo that admonition. Make an impact, no matter how small you may think it is. Improve your world. If you see a problem don't sit around waiting for someone else to take action, ACT!

To everyone who's done something for someone else, selflessly, without expecting a thanks in return: THANK YOU! Tonight may be the Midnight Ridazz Super Hero Ride, but to me all of y'all are already super heros.