I’ve missed you.
I started Operation NICE back in July 2009 because I wanted to force myself to focus on the good in the world by researching and blogging about it. To be honest, it was initially a selfish endeavor which quickly turned into an amazing community of nice people who needed the same thing that I did. After a few wonderful years, I decided to put Operation NICE on hiatus so I could focus on other pieces of my life, but year after year, I kept renewing the domain because I didn’t want it to disappear completely. It was too important to me.
Fast forward to 2016, a pretty craptastic year when you think about all of the heart-breaking, news-dominating events that have taken place. From bombings to mass shootings. From bigotry to hatred. How does one stay optimistic about humanity amongst the overwhelming negativity?
This past weekend, after sharing yet another horrific news story with my husband, Rob, he told me to stop. “Stop reading that stuff. Stop telling me about it.” I agreed. Well, that ban lasted less than 24 hours because the following morning, I read an article about how 50 people were killed in a mass shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, and I told him about it. And that’s when he called me a “harbinger of bad news.”
Hearing that phrase, it made me long for the days when I was the exact opposite of that. I spewed good news, not only to him, but to the thousands of people who read my blog. I used to read stories each day that made me cry happy tears, not mournful ones. And at that moment, I decided that it might be time to bring Operation NICE out of hiatus. I need it.
The goal of Operation NICE is to highlight the abundant kindness in this world and to show everyone how the simplest gestures can make a huge difference in another person’s day. I want to celebrate the people who are selfless, mindful, generous, and considerate because they are the champions of my world. This site is for them.
It’s for the girls at my local bakery who, although I only stop in once a month, make me feel like a welcomed regular.
It’s for the attendant in my parking lot who smiles and calls me "Miss Mini Coop” as I enter each morning.
It’s for the person in car in front of me at the Starbucks drive-thru who paid for my order.
It’s for the neighbor in my building who brings my packages from the mail room and leaves them at my doorstep.
It’s for my friend who mails me McDonald’s coupons because she knows I love me some McNuggets.
It’s for the stranger who turned my wallet in to lost & found at the Museum of Natural History in NYC.
It’s for the lady on the street in Chicago who noticed that I was looking at Google maps and asked if she could help me with directions.
It’s for the random girl who walked me two blocks to my train stop so I could share her umbrella in a downpour.
And there are so many more of these people who have made me optimistic about humanity amongst the overwhelming negativity. I hope you’ll join me as I revive this movement. While we certainly can’t make the bad news go away, we can put a humongous magnifying glass on the good stuff out there. It’s really nice to be back.