Kindness from Strangers

I was thinking back this morning to my first ever standing ovation at karaoke... Around 25 years ago, heck, maybe it was 30 years ago, I was fairly new to singing and was at a Chinese bar/restaurant in Kennewick, WA, and my brother, Paul, was the KJ (Karaoke Jockey).  I chose an easy song, "Horse With No Name," and evidently nailed it because when I finished, to my surprise, the audience of about 60 or so patrons stood up, cheering.  I was taken aback.

It occurred to me that the people who started the standing O' probably didn't realize at the time that they not only made my day, but helped create a lifelong memory.  It also provided me confidence singing in front of people that I didn't yet have.  I'm sure none of that was on the minds of those patrons when they stood up. They just liked what they heard (and must have been America fans) and showed appreciation.

I continued to have some success in karaoke, getting occasional standing O's, winning a contest here and there, and even getting to sing a duet with Paul for a karaoke contest finals in front of a couple thousand people at a county fair.  If not for that first standing ovation, maybe none of that would have happened.

The point I'm making is that small acts of kindness, even towards strangers, can have positive effects for those people, perhaps even for a lifetime.  Cliche?  Maybe, but the overwhelming positive feedback I received in that karaoke lounge directly affected me and my self-confidence for decades.  I only hope I have helped others in this same small way.

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