Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary
Vol. 4, Issue 24
"I’d like people to think of me as someone who cares about them." --Princess Diana
THE GOOD NEWS
All hail the trash champion
Jon Merryman hates, loathes and despises illegally dumped tires. And he's decided to do something about it.
The Maryland resident is cleaning up dumpsites filled with them.
Each car tire can weigh up to 25 pounds. Truck tires may weigh four times more. Yet Merryman is determined to haul them out of ditches, swamps, forests — any site that has become a dumping ground for these vile, discarded rubber rings.
On each outing, Merryman dons a fluorescent vest, gloves and mosquito spray and just gets to work. Once he has gathered all of the tires, he calls the authorities to haul everything away.
Merryman even plans to spend his retirement picking up litter all over the U.S. So far, he has cleaned up counties in 28 states, collected over half a million pounds of trash and removed more than 15,000 tires.
FMI: Click here.
An extra shift
What did you do after your graduation ceremony? Enjoy a meal with family and friends? Have a graduation party? Or, maybe you packed a bag and hit the road.
Mykale Baker, 18, went to Burger King to share the milestone achievement with his co-workers. When he arrived at the Georgia restaurant, he noticed that the staff was overwhelmed by hungry customers. Even though Baker wasn't on the schedule, he took off his cap and gown and went to work (still wearing his graduation medals).
Maria Mendoza, who had just watched her daughter graduate from the same high school, was waiting in the Burger King drive-thru when she noticed who was making her Whopper. Impressed by his attitude and effort, Mendoza quietly recorded Baker and posted the footage on TikTok. "This young man deserves a scholarship," she wrote.
The video went viral.
Mendoza also created a GoFundMe campaign and raised over $230,000 for Baker’s education.
When Burger King and the Burger King Foundation heard the story, they gave Baker a $10,000 scholarship — and provided a $10,000 scholarship to Mendoza's daughter as well.
FMI: Click here.
I've always been a big fan of boobies
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THIS WEEK’S POLL
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THIS WEEK IN (POSITIVE) HISTORY
On June 18, 1847, Thomas Martin Easterly took the earliest known photograph of lightning.
On June 19, 1862, slavery was outlawed in U.S. territories. The day is now celebrated as Juneteenth.
On June 20, 1969, David Bowie recorded “Space Oddity,” his first song about the fictional astronaut, Major Tom.
On June 21, 1893, the Ferris wheel debuted at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
On June 22, 1963, "Little" Stevie Wonder released his first single "Fingertips." He was 13 years old.
On June 23, 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for his invention, the "Type-Writer."
On June 24, 2012, Billboard.com named Olivia Newton-John's 1982 hit single, "Physical," as the sexiest song of all time.
On June 25, 1978, the first version of the rainbow flag was flown during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
FMI: Click here.
THIS WEEK’S FUN HOLIDAYS
June 18 is International Picnic Day, International Sushi Day, National Cherry Tart Day, National Go Fishing Day, National Splurge Day, National Wanna Get Away Day, Cheesemakers Day and Clean Your Aquarium Day
June 19 is International Box Day (For Cats), World Sauntering Day, National Garfield the Cat Day, National Kissing Day, National Watch Day and Juneteenth
June 20 is World Motorcycle Day, World Tapas Day, National American Eagle Day, National Ice Cream Soda Day, National Vanilla Milkshake Day, National Yard Games Day, Kouign Amann Day, Seashell Day, the Summer Solstice and Tall Girl Appreciation Day
June 21 is International Yoga Day, World Music Day, World Giraffe Day, World Humanist Day, World Motorcycle Day, National Cookie Dough Day, National Peaches and Cream Day, National Seashell Day, National Smoothie Day, National Take Back the Lunch Break Day, Go Skateboarding Day, National Take Your Dog to Work Day and National Wagyu Day
June 22 is World Rainforest Day, National Chocolate Eclair Day, National Kissing Day, National Limoncello Day, National Onion Ring Day and Take Your Cat to Work Day
June 23 is International Olympic Day, International Women in Engineering Day, National Detroit Style Pizza Day, National Hydration Day, National Pecan Sandies Day, National Pink Day, National Porridge Day, National Typewriter Day, Let It Go Day and Pink Flamingo Day
June 24 is International Fairy Day, National Patch Day, National Pralines Day, Celebration of the Senses Day, Farmer Day, Swim a Lap Day and Upcycling Day
June 25 is Global Beatles Day, International Day of the Seafarer, National Catfish Day, National Strawberry Parfait Day, Anthony Bourdain Day, Color TV Day, Goats Cheese Day and Smurfs Day
HOW TO SPREAD JOY/KINDNESS
* Write letters to elderly neighbors and friends
* Sing, dance or perform a play for residents in assisted care
* Volunteer to visit with seniors and record their stories
RECOMMENDED SUBSTACK
MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to Gary Chan, Unsplash, the University of Delaware, Capital News Service, The Washington Post, TikTok, People Magazine, the "Today" show, The Dodo, YouTube, The Written Word, the National Marine Life Center, History.com, This Day in History, Britannica, Time and Date, On This Day, the Library of Congress, IMDb, This Day in Music, National Today, National Day Calendar, Holidays Calendar, Cole and Marmalade, Curious Minds, Emily Charlotte Powell, While I Was Drawing, Counting Beans, Canva and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions.
—The title quote is by J.M. Barrie, "The Little White Bird"
KEEP IN TOUCH
Read a positive/uplifting news story lately? Have an inspiring quote you want to share? Or do you just want to let me know about some of your favorite simple pleasures?
Thanks for these bits of good news! I'm also always on the lookout for ways to reinforce the optimism that is in my DNA, and these stories -- especially the kid who went to work still wearing his graduation medals -- will get me through the day.
Thanks for including "Curious Minds" as your recommended Substack. Curiosity is something that I encourage people to explore - as it certainly can bring you joy!