Rain is only called “rain” while its in the air. Otherwise its just water. Pain is only pain when you feel it. Otherwise its second hand information.

I was watching a very popular  reality television show a few months ago. Someone in the position of authority stated something to the effect of, “I like being out here working in the streets with people because I can make a difference. It may be good or it may be bad. But at least I’m making a difference”.

Well that’s just selfish.

Shouldn’t we want to be make a positive impact on someone’s life? And if it did not result in an positive outcome – shouldn’t we bemoan that? This this guy – he just liked the power. I guess. Seeing someone suffer is going to have an effect on you. Either you are going to soften your heart or harden your heart. Watching, reading or hearing pain forces us to move toward softness or hardness. Most of the time we are not aware of those small emotional shifts in our thoughts.

Sometimes we are.

I attended a support rally for the Tennessee Education Association and was very encouraged by the numbers of teachers who came by the bus load from around the state of Tennessee. Now, I’m not losing comparing collective bargaining with the tragedies mentioned earlier. However, it was raining for three hours and they cheered, chanted and marched through downtown Nashville. It was an impressive sight. It reminds me of watching a professional football game where the players compete through the harsh weather because they are so focused on the outcome and supporting one another. I was compelled to capture what I saw on video because seeing those teachers and other supporters encouraged me. So as he rain came down, I got up and decided that I wanted to put a little more positiveation (is that a word?) in the world. The Internet can do much to spread information about helping other. Let us be inspired and inspire others to shared the great things people are doing. I want to post information that you have about agencies, programs and people who are making a difference (read the second paragraph above).

One of my videos is called “Tennessee Teachers Signs of Rain”. I thought about using “Teachers in the Rain Holding Signs” – it just did not have the feeling I wanted to convey. Some of their signs were some political jabs but mostly the signs pointed toward the results they wanted.

I want to present stories, photos and videos of people, communities and organizations that improving the lives of others. This will encourage to remain hopeful and others to join in and lend a hand. Electronic media gives us instant news showing us instant pain from the devastation from this week’s earthquake in Japan. We have seen it before in tragedies from Haiti, Hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Center. Much too many example and inevitably more to come in the future.

Electronic media also gives us instant ways to help. Farm Aid, USA for Africa, and Comic Relief, and Live Aid have shown how financial and humanitarian resources can reach people in disaster areas quickly. Putting a little bit more of good in the world is the type of information to be presented by RussAnthony411. The teachers of the Tennessee Education Association could have used rain as excuse to call off their rally. Instead as the rain was coming down, they motivated me to get up and do something (read second paragraph again).

By the way, if you complained that someone walked by you without saying anything – maybe they were waiting for you to say something first.

Russ