September 19, 2020

This week, I talked to a lovely young man about benches. He runs an Instagram account where he just, well, rates them. He sits down, takes a look around, and just thinks about it for a minute. It seems like a simple thing -- maybe even a little bit silly. But when the world moves as quickly and brutally as it seems to as of late, it’s easy to get swept away by stress and sadness. Sometimes, you just need to sit still.

For the next few minutes, find your favorite bench. Maybe, for the sake of proximity and Saturday mornings, your current sitting place will have to do. But find that place and just sit. Be still. Remember that even in difficult times, there is still so much to be happy about and so much to treasure in life. Let’s think about those things for a while. The rest can wait. Because, as Ruth Bader Ginsberg once said, “So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune."

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Our favorites this week

Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week

Loaded up and truckin'
The pandemic has seriously backed up food supply chains, and farmers often have to throw away ton after ton of excess product that can’t reach restaurants or grocery store shelves. In Washington state, a unique non-profit is helping re-route all of that great produce to people who really need it. A few months ago, George Ahearn, who grew up in the farming town of Othello, Washington, got the idea to connect farmers in the eastern part of the state with food banks and meal programs in the west. Except, there was a problem: You can’t just drop off bunches of dirty potatoes and onions. Instead, Ahearn linked up with two cofounders, Nancy Balin and Zsofia Pasztor, who organized convoys to drive across the state to pick up the produce, and assembled volunteers to clean and bag the food. To date, EastWest Food Rescue has helped deliver EIGHT MILLION POUNDS of fresh produce to help people in need. "I have seen minutes of effort move thousands, and thousands of pounds (of food)," Ahearn says. "Just figure out what you are passionate about and what you could get involved in."

You had me at 'toothless chihuahua'
At a family dental practice in Corte Madera, California, a toothless Chihuahua named Kismet has an important job: Comfort patients who might be feeling scared about their dental procedures. After all, what’s more comforting than having a sweet, gummy little 13-year-old pup in your lap? Dr. Cameron Garrett, the office's dentist, and his wife, Debra Garrett, the dental hygienist, adopted Kismet about a year ago, and she follows in the footsteps of their previous companion and long-time “dental dog,” Karma. Kismet never barks, is respectful of dog-wary visitors, and always has a snuggle or tail wag ready for someone stressing over their impending root canal. The couple says Kismet’s calming effect is just science. “Interacting with an animal, having physical contact with a pet really lowers the blood pressure and heart rate and makes it a much calmer moment.” In other words, everyone loves her.

This is no island of misfit toys
Are you ready for some nostalgia? The National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, has announced the 12 finalists for its Hall of Fame Class of 2020, and the nominees will send you right through a time warp. Baby Nancy, bingo, Breyer Horses, Jenga, Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe, My Little Pony, Risk, sidewalk chalk, Sorry!, Tamagotchi, Yahtzee -- ah, what memories! The finalists are selected based on four criteria: icon-status, longevity, discovery and innovation. You’ll also notice that they span all generations, age groups and technology levels. But after rounds of public and expert voting, only a few will ultimately make it to Rochester’s hallowed halls in November. So far, 71 iconic toys have been named to the Hall of Fame, including Crayola Crayons, alphabet blocks, Mr. Potato Head, the Atari 2600 Game System and Raggedy Ann.

Raise a glass to...

The thousands of incredible firefighters and first responders battling the wildfires along the West Coast. After a grueling 14-hour shift "cutting line," or building a perimeter of mineral soil to keep the fire from spreading, the Grizzly Firefighters from The Dalles, Oregon, were caught on camera singing a rousing, firefighter-themed version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame:"

Take me out to the fire.

Take me out to the line.

Bring me some sawyers and hazel hoes.

I don't care if I ever get home.

Crew boss Theodore Hiner said in a Facebook post that even after a hard day, his crew can still make him laugh. And after all of that hard work, they certainly deserve a chuckle or two.

A bright idea

Here’s a great Halloween idea: If you’re worried about socially distanced trick-or-treating this year, build a candy chute! Andrew Beattie and his 6-year-old daughter from Cincinnati, Ohio, put together a cute orange and black tube in about 20 minutes using materials they had around the house. Once Halloween comes around, Beattie says they’ll pop it on the porch railing, and then send some morsels down into the waiting baskets of neighborhood ghoulies. The best part? It’s an alternative that’s actually fun. "This is something that the kids will enjoy and not think of it as I'm doing this to prevent disease,” Beattie says. “They are doing it to have a good time”

You gotta see this

If the bigger the hair, the closer to God, I guess you could say this guy is building a hairway to heaven!* Joseph Grisamore, of Park Rapids, Minnesota is the proud new Guinness World Record holder for tallest mohawk. This structural marvel is 42.5 inches tall, adding even more outrageous height to Grisamore’s 6’1 frame. Grisamore says he doesn’t even use that much product -- his hairstylist usually just teases it so it stays up. However, Grisamore doesn't always rock the sky-high ‘do. He works as an essential worker at a health care facility, and usually keeps it braided and in two knots to avoid sitting on it.

*This is the worst sentence I’ve ever written and I’m not sorry.

Wanna get away?

Remember planes? Remember that exhilarating feeling of seeing the ground rise up to meet you as you touch down in a new place, ready for adventure? Booking platform PrivateFly asked passengers what their absolute favorite airport landing scene was for 2020, and the results will get your wanderlust roaring. The top spot goes to Donegal Airport in Ireland (above), followed by Msembe Airstrip, Tanzania and Skiathos Airport, Greece. Yes, one American vista made it to the list, too: Florida's Orlando Melbourne International Airport. But of course, no view will beat the skyline of your home city after a long time away.

Hear, hear!

Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.

- Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The pioneering Supreme Court Justice and political icon passed away Friday at the age of 87.

Who knew?

For 35 years, we’ve just accepted the fact that Nintendo’s Mario, one of the most recognizable video game characters of all time, is a 26-year-old Italian-American plumber from New York. And for some reason, it’s never seemed weird! But why is Mario a plumber, anyway? Shigeru Miyamoto, game designer and "Super Mario Bros” producer, says the mustache, hat and overalls was a simple way to make him instantly iconic. “I was trying to use the technology available at the time to produce a distinctive-looking character from a small number of pixels, and that resulted in Mario," Miyamoto said in comments translated from Japanese. As for the profession? “We wanted him to be someone who might live near you, and not a superhero.” Oh, and by the way, Mario wasn’t always a plumber. Pop quiz: What profession did he have when the character first appeared in the 1981 arcade game “Donkey Kong?” I’ll put the answer in the cute animal video below.

Tell us something good

Last week, I asked you to tell me the songs that always make you happy, and wow did you deliver! We got hundreds of suggestions from every possible era and genre, and it’s been a joy going through them. We’ll include a full playlist (plus a few surprises) in next week’s newsletter, so don’t miss it!

Are there people in your community doing great things who deserve a shoutout? Drop us a line with a photo and a short description and they could be featured here.

Impact your world

It’s so important for children of all races, cultures and abilities to see themselves reflected in the literature they love. Unfortunately, such books can be hard to come by. That’s why Krenice Roseman and her husband Derrick Ramsey started Young, Black & Lit, a program that provides free books that feature Black main characters to children and schools in the Chicagoland area. With their help and the help of donors and educators, Black children can read about more superheroes, scientists, and fictional best friends just like them, and low-income schools get access to wonderful materials for young minds. "When a child sees themselves reflected in the books that they read, when the books are a mirror to them, they feel valued," said Roseman. A reminder that now is the perfect time to donate money, books or time to literacy programs like this one. It’s going to be a difficult school year, and teachers and students deserve some support!

Rec of the week

Brought to you by CNN Underscored

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