Great concept, Loretta: National Civility Day. The key prerequisite for being allowed to get out of bed that day to mingle with the rest of society is to not use the word "I" for the entire day. That means a person would have to train the mind to not even think about "me."

Well, I guess we'll all have to stay in bed because our minds are saying: "I" gotta get up, "I" gotta eat breakfast, "I" gotta go to work, "I" gotta make the donuts!

Hmmm. How 'bout: "You" need me to get up today, "You" need me to be nourished and energized so that I can be your caring Daddy, "You" need my total effort and engagement at work today so that others can benefit from what we do, "You" may not need a donut, but "you'll" know that this Boston Cream comes from someone who's thinking of "you" today!

Dear Loretta, YOU are the coolest!
Love your work and concepts…which are really, just logic, but somehow as you said, missing from today’s society. I’ve been a 'practicing nice person' for a while now. I say practicing because for a while there, I wasn’t very nice to anyone. Post partum depression can do that do a girl.

Now, I always make a point of telling people how they are positively influencing our lives. Some of them think it’s weird…so what! I have a high school friend serving in Afghanistan right now as a Green Beret. Haven’t seen him in 20 years but back then, he was a great friend. After his first tour there (Afghanistan, not high school), I wrote a letter to the editor thanking him for doing what he’s doing for us. He was moved to tears, wrote to me and thanked me for saying anything nice. He said that no matter what’s going on, we (American people) aren’t being very nice to the soldiers who are there OR their families here.

He said that my letter showed him & his “guys” that some of us really do care about them. Now, I write to his email address all the time. I don’t say anything in particular, other than send him funny stuff when I can find it, and mail him the occasional chocolate which they all miss terribly. It’s a no-brainer for me. It’s the world to him and his coworkers. I wish more of us would just randomly do something similar for anyone who just needs a virtual “checking-in”. It’s made a huge difference in my life too. I’m actually turning “nice” into my dissertation topic, and becoming a PhD dedicating to this cause.

Thanks Loretta!
khenry555