This week Awesome Stories brings you haircuts for the homeless, hemp magic, brain exercises, caring for kids and biophilic design.
Styling the Homeless
Mark Bustos spends his Sundays cruising the streets of New York City to find people that he can help. He offers homeless people free hairstyling and food each Sunday, his one day off from working in a hair salon. Mark has been doing this since May 2012, when he offered free haircuts to impoverished children while on vacation in the Philippines. He enjoyed it so much, he decided to keep going when he returned to NYC and on other trips to Costa Rica, LA and Jamaica. Kudos to Mark for his simple kindness.
Hemp Oil Cures
This story is very disturbing to me. Not for the amazing hemp oil stories and cures. People are using hemp oil to cure cancer, skin rashes, eye disorders and more. Rick Simpson has been making and giving away hemp oil for free to people all around Canada for over 20 years with amazing results. He has done so at great cost to himself; having had his plants and oil confiscated, harrassed and even arrested several times. He has brought evidence to doctors, including his own, and always been refused an audience. No one in the medical establishment is willing to consider the amazing benefits of the hemp oil he makes. I bet you can guess why. It doesn’t fit in their paradigm, medical policy or financial benefit. It’s heart wrenching to me to know that such an amazing plant is treated as harmful and ignored. Rick Barton has faced similar challenges in the US. Please share this story. Here is the Phoenix Tears website with more info and steps you can take to spread the benefits of hemp. Thanks!
Detective Jack Throws a Surprise Hook
Wow. This story brought me to tears with Detective Jack Moot’s surprising kindness. Watch how Detective Jack Moots goes above and beyond his duty.
7 Brain Boosting Exercises
Good timing on this article for me. Research suggests that our mental powers start decreasing after age 50. The good news is that we can maintain our cognitive abilities with some simple exercises. Researchers suggest boosting our main mental functions of memory, synthesis, language, attention and focus with simple exercises like reading, problem solving, learning new words and more. I guess that means it’s time for me to start exercising my brain! But just like physical exercise, these suggestions only work if we use them. 🙂 Brain gym time!
Connecting with Nature
Living walls, interior gardens, water falls, flowing shapes and more are becoming part of the growing design ethic called Biophilic design. It uses our inherent connection with nature in the design and function of buildings. This is the leading edge of sustainability that not only builds efficient buildings, but ones that sooth and enhance our lives. Bill Browning, Terrapin’s founding partner and biophilic pioneer, has written a book about the patterns in nature that captivate and engage us. Personally, I find the designs beautiful and captivating. Companies are interested in the benefits like reduced stress, increased creativity and improved mental function. Google and other early pioneers in biophilic design are beginning to demonstrate tangible financial benefits as well. A win for all.
Hemp Airplanes?
As you can probably tell, I’m a big fan of hemp for its amazing properties and many uses, but this story blows my mind! Derek Kesek has plans to build the world’s first hemp airplane, then to run it on hemp biofuel! About 75% of the plane will be built from hemp, dramatically reducing its carbon footprint, with big plans to transform the world of aviation. The first flight is scheduled to take off from Kitty Hawk, NC next year. I really hope this project takes off! XD With increased innovation, it’s going to be hard to keep suppressing the use of hemp.
writing to freedom 
Hey, I wanna fly in a hemp airplane! 😀
Very touching adoption video, and I love the idea of the Biophilic designed buildings!
Thanks for sharing some more “Awesome Stories” with us Brad, have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too Julie! I sure hope that plane takes flight! The adoption story really touched my heart. I’m glad that my stories touch you too. Thanks Julie. To wonderful weekends with friends, family and darn cold weather! XD
LikeLike
You know Brad, I believe that every cure we could ever need has been provided for us in nature….by God! I will never understand (except maybe I do – big $) why we, as a nation, look more and more to pharmaceuticals which many times cause more problems than the disease they are trying to cure…Instead of looking to nature. (And I have to laugh a little as I am currently taking some pretty strong pharmaceuticals!!) 🙂 🙂 Hope your Sunday will be amazing! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the honesty Lorrie. Sometimes it’s hard to fight the system. 🙂 Thankfully, more natural approaches are being used by a growing minority. And I’ve softened my stance on main stream medicine. Sometimes it is the best choice. My Sunday will be awesome and cold! XD
LikeLike
I understand! As I have had to also! 🙂 Stay warm Brad!! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Brad:
As you know, I always take a long time to go through your Awesome stories, or I visit and revisit. I’m still at it, but wanted to say: it packs a wallop.
The brain exercises are of special interest to me, of course. But the one about the hairstylist who give haircuts to people who can’t afford it – what an amazing story.
It reminds me of the great Canadian photographer – Edward Gajdel – who took a series of portraits of artists in Toronto who were homeless. Both Edward and Mr. Bustos revealed their dignity through their work. Amazing what that can do for a person – like the man who, after his haircut, asked Bustos if he knew anyone who was hiring.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great way to view their work Cynthia; as helping to reveal dignity, both in the givers and receivers. I hadn’t heard of Edward Gajdel. He sounds like Andrew Kilgore, a local photographer who photographs the underserved in society.
I appreciate you diving deeply into my stories and sharing your wise perspectives. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved all of this, especially the video. I teared up. Thank you for sharing, as always. RJ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too on the video RJ! Thanks for visiting and sharing. I’m glad the stories and video touched you. blessings, Brad
LikeLike
Awesome stories… as usual… awesome Brad as always 🙂 thank you Brad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome Frederic. Thank you for blessing my blog. ❤
LikeLike
Discovered you on Frederic’s (Poems & Poemes) and am so glad I did! You are really doing a great service by highlighting the human stories and acts of kindness – in a world so populated and obsessed with darkness. Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
Hi Anjali and welcome! I agree that the world needs more focus on the good. Each of us can help to create a better world with our actions. Thanks for sharing. blessings, Brad
LikeLike
I love these series Brad, and I like to pick one story from each entry that resonates the most with me and comment on it. In this edition, the story that stands out the most for me is ‘Connecting With Nature’. But, ironically, my fascination with this story has little to do with nature. It has more to do with awareness and the ability to see new things. We drive around day after day, looking at rectangular buildings. But, when we see something different, something with curves and uniqueness, our eye catches it. We stop to admire it. The building in your picture did just that for me, and it reminded me how the same thing has happened to me in the past. For me, it reminds me that it’s okay, and usually necessary, to be different, to be your own person, to do your own thing. It can have a bigger impact on the world around you than you might believe. And, it will have the biggest impact on the person inside you! Thanks, as always, Brad – great stuff! 🙂
LikeLike
Great perspective Dave. I appreciate your reminder to be our own person, something that truthfully has been hard for me. Even today, I’m not really sure of my path in life. It’s interesting how insight can show up; like yours from a story about “Connecting with Nature”! Thanks for adding your kindness and insights to this community. 🙂
LikeLike