Goodness

Thursday 3rd September, 2020.

It is so inspiring to meet a good person. It is so inspiring to meet a person ever full of kindness. It is so inspiring to meet a person who is ever positive, ever seeing the best side of a situation, ever making one feel a sense of hope even in the midst of despair. It is so inspiring to meet a person who spends his life working to help others, to raise funds for charity, to create environments of care and opportunities for the many who have nothing, who feel forgotten, who live in circumstances which are destructive, abusive and ever negative. It humbles one. It restores one's faith in human generosity. It makes one realise what one can do and the potential of human life.

I met such a person today at lunch. He is the son of a good friend. I have met him before in passing, in short conversations but today I sat next to him for three hours. I had wangled out of his Mother the things he has done from riding a penny farthing the length of Britain to hosting over 40,000 children over the years in outward bound camps to, recently, organising food parcels, outdoor activities and meals as well as opportunities to learn how to mend a bicycle, build a car, craft a table and many other such skills. He has galvanised stars of football and tennis and sailing to give their time and knowledge to those unable to find ways to do such things.

He has raised millions of pounds for projects at home and abroad. He lives his goodness also providing shelter for the homeless, seeking places and help for addicts, abuse victims and the mentally challenged.

Did I meet a ' pious old fart', a 'do gooder', a self absorbed egocentric human who gets high and gets kicks from being known to be charitable etc? No I met a man who laughs, smiles, listens, is diffident, has lovely stories, is sensitive to one's own life, is quietly kind, not overtly charismatic. You would never know what he has done for it is not overt and vulgar but gentle and low key. The occasional tale might alert one but overall he was just a 'nice guy'.

I was particularly enamoured of him when he passed on his chocolate mousse seeing how I had relished mine. I met a true human being. What a privilege.