My mission to bring good vibes through colorful kindness rocks that I carried out this weekend, has left good experiences. 😜
Friday afternoon we arrived at our destination and immediately set out to make the most of the short time we had.
The afternoon was sunny even though it was already past 5 o'clock. The water was quite cold for my taste and there was a little swell, but nothing that prevented us from fully enjoying the breeze, the smell and the beauty of the sea.
As I didn't want to bathe I took the opportunity to walk along the shore of the beach and start my mission. 😁
The first rocks of kindness were left on the sand. A little girl found a smiley face, I asked her mom for permission, after explaining the whole rock thing, to take a picture of her little girl's hand with the face in her hand (to which the mother agreed...without much desire). I continued on my way a little distressed...the first experience had not been a very pleasant one. 😔
Further on I find a young girl drawing in the sand (this and other artistic creations will be the reason for a different post 🤭). Her enthusiasm led me to break my plan and give her 3 of my little rocks. A lot of words (in German) loaded with emotion came out of her mouth, I didn't understand anything 😂, but it wasn't necessary...her face said it all 😊. She understood perfectly, she knew from my gestures and bad English, that it was a gift full of good energies. At the end, one word in perfect Spanish.... "Gracias". This time I went on my way very happy.
I left others roks in the sand, I didn't know their destination, but I assumed they had a nice one.
The next day I went for a walk. This time the rocks were left on the small walls of the avenue, or on restaurant tables. On bus stop benches, on window sills. Anywhere they could be seen. From 13th Street to 52nd Street I scattered them all. Some in the morning and some in the afternoon hours.
Just like the day before, most of them I didn't know their destination.
In a coffee shop where I left some on the tables, an English lady stopped to see what I was photographing. I gave her a violet with small yellow flowers, explained to her, as best I could and knew in my very bad English, what it consisted of. She thanked me, evidently excited, like the German girl the day before.
The most unlikely story I had was with a group of young people. On my way back to the lodge I see that on the bench of a bus stop, where I had left some rocks just minutes before, there were some boys sitting. I approached them and asked them if they had seen 3 colored stones that were on the bench.
The boys were speechless and looked at each other (this scene was worthy of recording 🤣). Suddenly, one points to the floor and tells me, they are over there, we threw them away because we thought it was "witchcraft" 🙄😳. Whaaat??? I was dumbfounded 😱. I explained to them all about the "kindness rocks". I asked them why they hadn't simply thought they were decorated stones. The guys' answer: that's just "weird"...usually what you find out there is almost always witchcraft. Anyway...idiosyncrasy problems🤔...maybe. 😆
Finally the situation became hilarious. The boys apologized to me, picked up the rocks, and the others asked me for one for luck on their college entrance exams. It was a group of twelfth graders returning from a math review and waiting for a bus home.
I placed one in the hands of each of them with all the kindness in the world and wishing from the bottom of my soul that it would serve as a charm for their exams.
This experience has been enriching, thank you again @mipiano. 🤗
PS: I completely forgot that Varadero is a fine sand beach. In all the extension I walked I didn't find a single pebble 😆, just some pieces of coral that I hope will be of some use to me.
The experience you've had makes me ponder various aspects; there's a subtle idiosyncrasy at play here. Perhaps it's not just idiosyncrasy but the loss of something fundamental in life - the capacity to be awestruck or marvel without fear. There is a reality in the times we are living in, in which people lose sight of many things to focus on the search for the basics and trying to survive. Yet, isn't the essence of life found in simple acts like smiling, sharing, or rejoicing when someone gifts them a colorful stone with a warm smile and love?
The religion and witchcraft you refer to seem to propagate fear instead of love, the most potent force in the Universe.
I believe what we truly need is an army of light-bearers, spreading stones, flowers, and hugs in the streets. People need to see the essential that is invisible to the eyes.
Thank you Nani, your thoughtful comment brings a lot of value to my post. I appreciate your words full of wisdom 🤗.
Ya estoy llegandoooooo
Since I saw your post I tried to come here and comment but I started to work today again after the school break 🤐
The young people from the bus stop 😱 Really, they thought it was witchcraft? 🤦♀
But is it that common on your island that they thought that?
Anyway, the locals didn't recognize the good intention at first but the German girl and the English lady immediately yes. 😍 There is a saying, actually, an expression that a prophet is not without honour except in his own town. No sé como se traduce al español pero es que muchas veces nuestras logros están muy apreciados por todos excepto por aquellos en nustro entorno. But, it was a great ending that they apologized and even asked for a rock to bring them luck. I think they will take care now of these kindness rocks and maybe even get inspired to think about being more attentive and kind toward others. 😇
The experience with the German girl and English lady who received the smiles, good vibes and kindness and gave you the same vibe back are making me happy 😇
Thank you for sharing with us your first experience of placing rocks in public spaces. Someone told me here on Hive that I could place a rock on the piano when I play and see if someone pays attention and if yes, give it to that person. This might be my next step 🎶
Yo fui la que llegó tarde a responder tu comentario, lo había perdido entre las notificaciones. 🤭
After a week of vacation you have to...grease the mechanism 😆.
The guys thought it was witchcraft 🤣. In Cuba many people practice the Yoruba religion and they certainly make offerings that they scatter in public places, but I have never really seen things similar to my little rocks, they are usually other things. I think in this case it was more suggestion than anything else. It's more like Nani says, "the loss of something fundamental in life - the capacity to be awestruck or marvel without fear". I was surprised and saddened that they just didn't see nice painted rocks that someone could have left, or simply forgotten, without bad intentions.
But hey, in the end it had a happy outcome and the reaction of the German girl and the English lady was so genuine and sincere that it made up for the rest 🥰. Nadie es profeta en su propia tierra, así se traduce al español.😉
What a great idea about the rock on the piano! Do it as soon as you can, it will be a nice social experiment.
Gracias a ti por tan maravillosa idea inspiradora. 🤗
Hola amiga, disfruté mucho leer este post, me encantó esta acción de regalar rocas decoradas y las experiencias bonitas que tuviste, genial!😅 un abrazo 🤗
Gracias Mayra, me alegra que te haya gustado. Realmente fueron buenas experiencias, además de muuuy buen ejercicio, ¡caminé muchísimo! Un abrazo de vuelta.