Last week I read a David Brooks opinion piece in the New York Times. Within the article the phrase “Outrageous Acts of Radical Generosity” caught my eye. Ever the librarian, I looked up the etymology of the words outrageous and radical. According to Etymonology Online, the root word of outrageous means to grow, nourish, while the word radical means “vital to life.” Consequently, the phrase “Outrageous acts of radical generosity” reads “Growing or nourishing acts vital to life generosity.” Now there’s a thought.

For a long time now I’ve been helplessly outraged by the state of the world and our country in particular. Every day brings new atrocities. Each side is absolutely positively sure that their idea is correct, and each is mystified by the other side’s choices. Slogging through this existential quagmire is exhausting. Looking for light in the forest, this idea of nourishing acts that grow generosity sounds like an excellent idea. I want to know more.

Further research led me to a Ted Talk that proved most helpful. Outrageous acts of radical generosity grew from the Giving Tuesday campaign. Both movements focus on generosity, causing me to examine the idea beyond the cursory. I had a definition, but what does generosity actually do? According to my research, generosity can have a long-reaching effect on communities, cities, countries or even the world. Being generous affects one’s mental outlook and even health and when one is generous, that act can affect others as much as three people removed from yourself. In other words, generosity is important.

Here are some examples. The small blessing boxes one sees (Take what you need, leave what you can) was started by a person in Jackson, Tennessee, a generosity idea that is now nationwide. Those smiles-producing painted rocks one occasionally finds? That idea began in Nairobi, Kenya.

Generosity often comes in small acts, someone carrying something for you, someone smiling at just the right time. I once was headed to the library lugging a heavy stool up a flight of stairs. A student came up behind me and carried the stool for me. A small, spontaneous act that made me smile all day. As I sit at my desk my eyes land on a beautifully knitted small bird sitting on an equally beautiful small nest in which is a tiny blue egg – a gift from a talented, creative friend. My tiny bird sitting contentedly on her nest, eternally waiting for her egg to hatch makes me smile every time I see her. She is a daily gift from a friend, an outrageous act of radical generosity in practice.

There’s an old story about the people in heaven and in hell. The people in hell sit at a banquet with arms that don’t bend, making it impossible for them to eat. They sit in eternal starvation. The people in Heaven sit at a banquet with arms that don’t bend, so they feed each other. Let’s feed each other, shall we? By the way, I’d like my next bite to be the green beans.

KTT and Cindy Arp want to hear from you for a new feature: Human ‘being’ Kind. Share known acts of generosity to humanbeingkindKTT@gmail.com.

Cindy Arp, teacher/librarian, retired from Knox County Schools. She and husband Dan live in Heiskell.