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“Draw the art you want to see ... play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use -- do the work you want to see done.” -- Austin Kleon
Hello everyone! This week, our stories remind us of how creative we are as a people -- and how that creativity opens the door to what is good, true, and beautiful in our lives. In Vienna, a film festival is powered by using actual raw bicycle power. In Boston, a billionaire gives graduating students a gift of 1,000 dollars; 500 for them to keep and 500 to give away. And our elders throughout the world remind us that we are never too old to set and achieve new goals. May this week bring you opportunities to create, enjoy, and share life. Wishing you well!
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Woodland Police Department
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Can the worst be avoided with a hug? That's what Michael Armus's story of compassion and presence suggests. Mr. Armus Sr. was at a Bank of the West in California, U.S., depositing a check when 42-year-old Eduardo Placensia passed a note to a teller, claiming he had explosives and demanding money. But Armus recognized the suspect as a former neighbor, and, detecting irritation and depression in the sound of his voice, decided to step in with kindness and empathy. With just a few simple questions, he managed to get the man to confess that he wanted to go to prison because he felt there was nothing for him in the town. Armus ended up by comforting the man and giving him a hug. It turned out Placensia was not armed. Whilst Armus has been hailed a hero, his simple response -- showing compassion and genuine interest -- should be taught in schools and replicated all over the world. "What could have happened to this guy to make him want to go in there and just throw his life away?" Armus told ABC News. There is no limit to what kindness can do!
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The Cycle Cinema Club on Facebook
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The University of Vienna has launched a carbon-neutral film festival that is powered by three bicycles. Scientists, students and visitors must pedal together to keep the show running, combining engineering as well as a bit of climate awareness.The free festival, which lasts until 19 June, will feature eight films aimed at children, trying to get them interested in science. Screening locations will change every week. People are encouraged to bring a blanket and enjoy the outdoors with a picnic and their kids. The Cycle Cinema Club, a local group which does similar pedal-powered events and has the technical know-how on what they require, helped the university design the event.
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Addie McElreath
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Before walking across the commencement stage, 2,000 undergraduate students of the University of Massachusetts Boston learned they'd be getting two envelopes containing $1,000. Billionaire communications CEO Robert Hale provided the envelopes -- one with a $500 gift for each student and the other with $500 for the students to gift a person or organization. Addie McElreath, 27, whose grandparents travelled from Maine to see her receive her bachelor's degree in English, felt Hale introduced a new generation to the societal importance of "giving as much as you can." Hale hopes that when students feel the joy of giving, it will "become a trait that carries on for the rest of their lives."
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Niki Coffman
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Five-year-old Archer "Archie" Coffman rarely sees himself reflected in the toy aisles. So when Fisher-Price sent a Little People toy that looked just like him, he didn't put it down all day. His adopted mother, Niki Coffman, 38, says it is important "to have toys and and books that look like Archer, because that's how they understand that brown skin isn't less than." Niki and husband Andrew adopted Archer shortly after his birth but his mother, KKay, remains part of his life. On his fifth birthday, when Niki asked people to donate diverse and inclusive toys to his preschool, there were a lot of Little People toys. Her thank you letter to Fisher-Price inspired the company's design team."We know that when kids play with Little People they are playing out scenarios they see in the world around them, and feeling like they are a part of that world is critical," said design vice-president Gary Weber.
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Ravi Patel | Unsplash
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We've probably all heard the old adage "age is just a number." But it's one thing to hear it and a totally different thing to witness people accomplishing big dreams and setting new goals later in life. One example is Yuichiro Miura, "The Godfather of Extreme Skiing," who was the first person to ski down Mount Everest and who later became the oldest person to climb the mountain at age 80 in 2013. At 72, Edwina "Eddie" Brocklesby became the oldest British woman to compete in an Ironman triathalon; she's adopted the nickname "Irongran." And, who could forget Nelson Mandela? He was in his mid-seventies when he received a Nobel Peace Prize and was elected president of South Africa. United by a drive to keep moving forward, these impressive adventurers, creators, and changemakers remind us there's no age limit for ambition or creativity.
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