Negativity and selfishness gets great publicity in our social networking, indirect-contact society. You’d be led to believe the world’s running low on good people and that no one cares for or respects one another anymore. Their only concerns are themselves; and when they’re in need, no one is willing to lend them a hand without reward.
This is not the case. Kind, caring, selflessly-generous people still exist. John Popper is a shining example.
A musician and songwriter with an incredible 3-decades-long career, Popper is the lead singer of multiplatinum-selling band Blues Traveler. The Grammy-winning Ohio native has one of the most recognizable voices in the music industry, one adored on hit songs “Crazy”, “But Anyway”, “Hook”, “Run-Around”, and “Carolina Blues”.
A passionate vocalist, he’s also a world-renowned harmonica player.
An entertaining storyteller, Popper talks candidly about his career and personal life challenges in his fun-yet-inspiring autobiography Suck and Blow: And Other Stories I’m Not Supposed to Tell.
While good at what he does, he’s also a good person and one who believes in helping others.
I asked John Popper to tell me about a time when he did something nice for someone that he didn’t know. Here’s what he shared.
“I reconnected with this guy who was teaching at a public school in South Bronx. He was using my lyrics to teach kids how to read English.
They got me to come in and see those kids. And they just wanted anybody to come in and see them, to care about what they were doing and tell them they did a good job. That made me cry.
When I saw these kids singing my lyrics, it blew me away! It wasn’t a nice thing for them, it was a nice thing for me.
I think that’s how it is. If you really do something nice for somebody it ends up being a selfish act anyway because you get something out of it.
You hope that you’re doing good deeds wherever you can. People thank me for just saying hi to them and doing stuff that wasn’t really that hard.
There are opportunities where we all feel like we can help. And if we’re in the right state of mind, we will.
I just want to feel okay with me. I want to feel right with myself. If you really do something good for somebody, you’re going to feel good about yourself. Right there you’re getting rewarded.
There’s always a motivation, and hopefully it passes around. Lord knows everybody needs help at some point. And I hope I’m there for somebody when they need me.” |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker | Photo by Jeannie Powers Photography]
“We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.” – ‘We Are the World’
