Photograph by Louise Webb
Gail Caratozzlo (right) committed a random act of kindness when she gave Jennie King a birthday party at the International Coffee Exchange.
It is time to be thinking about Random Acts of Kindness Week again. The U.S. Congress named Feb. 9-16 Random Acts of Kindness Week. The Saratoga City Council is proclaiming Friday, Feb. l4, Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Wil Glennon, a former Saratogan who is former mayor Bill Glennon's son and City Councilman Paul Jacobs' brother-in-law, has written books on Random Acts of Kindness.
Glennon says, "Most people try to fulfill obligations in life, like doing their fair share of chores and supporting and comforting their families and friends, but these deeds are expected of us. When we make the extra effort of being kind when we aren't required to and surprise someone, that is a Random Act of Kindness."
We remember kind things people have done for us. Giving to others makes us feel good. Last year I wrote about Karen Bates bringing me a delicious curry dinner with all the condiments when I was ill. Bates read about it in my column and hadn't even remembered doing it. It had a boomerang effect. She was feeling a little low the day she read about her good deed, and it made her feel better.
Adrian Stanga, former owner of Adrian's Men's Wear and a past Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, is known for his kindness. One time a customer's tuxedo didn't arrive. It got so late that the customer had even picked up his prom date but still no tux. Stanga saved the day by fitting the customer in a dark suit and shirt and completed the outfit with shoes off his own feet! Another time, a customer had rented prom clothes somewhere else. The bow tie was missing. Stanga had the perfect tie in his drawer at home. Since time was of the essence, Adrian called his wife, Fran, and got her to agree to stand on Highway 9 with the tie. After the customer picked up his date, they got the tie from Fran, who was waving it frantically on the highway, and the couple made it to the prom in Los Gatos on time.
I encourage you to help make this world a better place and become even more aware of others and do extra acts of kindness particularly during the week.
What can you do? You might call or write someone who would like to hear from you, pay for someone's coffee in line behind you, ask a single person to dinner or movies or get acquainted with a neighbor you don't know well.
Let me know what you did. Someone wrote last year that talking about what she did felt like bragging to her. If someone else has done something nice for you this year or this week, let me know that, too. I hope to hear from you. Call 867-9533 or write to me: Saratoga News, l4375 Saratoga Ave., Suite E2, Saratoga, 95070.
Other news: Screenwriter Ed Solomon, Saratoga High class of l978, is married to Cynthia Cleese, daughter of British film actor John Cleese. According to the Feb. 2 issue of People magazine they are expecting their first baby this summer.
Bob Skillicorn, a clerk in produce at Safeway, will appear in several scenes on the television show Nash Bridges with Don Johnson on Feb. 14. He plays a doctor. His wife, Pam, plays a hospital visitor on the show, which airs on CBS Channel 5 at 9 p.m.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 5, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.