Awesome Stories 213

/ March 14, 2015

This week Awesome Stories bring you beautiful voices, touching tributes, lucid energy, airless tires and a unique kindness challenge.

Singing with Soul

Hanky alert! Challenged with stuttering his whole life and the consequent teasing, Harrison Craig turned to singing. He seems to find his flow in singing. Watch this powerful performance that moves many of us to tears. He went on to win The Voice Australia 2013. Enjoy.

60 Days of Kindness

This is a fun twist on celebrating our birthday. Glinda decided to do 60 days of kindness as a challenge for her 60th birthday. She feels very blessed from the experience, on which she blogged the progress. One interesting insight is that she feels we can’t separate kindness from the act, that in fact we are kindness. She believes that when we give kindness, we return to our essential nature of love and there is nothing we can do to create more happiness than by being generous. Most people who practice giving end up feeling so much joy that they want to keep giving. Care to join in Glinda’s celebration of kindness?

Lucid Energy

Lucid Energy has a clever way to generate clean, low-cost electricity from the water flow in large pipes. Their systems have turbines inside steel pipe along with a generator on the outside of the pipe. Their LucidPipe simply replaces a section of current pipe and becomes an electricity generator. They estimate a 60″ pipe with a flow of 7 ftps can generate 100kw of electricity. Lucid Energy systems are generating electricity in Riverside CA and Portland OR. This sounds like a great way to be more efficient with our water systems.

Touching Tributesbereavement- Awesome Stories

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is an organization that connects families to photographers during the incredibly difficult situation of having babies born with terminal conditions. The parents may only have a few short hours or days to spend with their newborns. The portraits serve as a loving legacy and step in their healing. I can’t imagine the pain for the parents, but I’m glad for this compassionate group that offers these free services. They have over 1600 volunteers in 40 countries, helping bereaved parents remember and celebrate their children.

New Farmers

Apparently, there is a surge in younger people becoming farmers by choice. These young folks care about the planet and want to live in a way that makes a direct impact. They are part of a wave of small-scale farming based on organic and other more sustainable approaches like crop rotation and composting to agriculture. They see themselves as environmentalists and believe in taking care of the earth, soil, animals and pollinators. The challenges are great, but they seem determined to make a difference. I know after several failed vegetable gardens, I have a lot more respect for the hard work that goes into market farming. Thank you to all who grow our food!

Airless Tires

This is a pretty cool technology on the horizon. Bridgestone, Michelin and other groups are working on airless tires which are generally honeycombed materials around a wheel hub with a thin layer of rubber at the edges. They would be stronger and more durable with better handling and less environmental waste. Sounds pretty good. Where do I order?

 What moves you? I’d love hear your story below. 

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19 thoughts on “Awesome Stories 213”

  2. Amazing stories Brad.. and I too cannot imagine the pain of losing a young baby, Its good such organisations exist .. And 60 days of of Kindness challenge is a great way to celebrate a 60th Birthday. 🙂 And its good to know many young people are wanting to become farmers and connect to the Earth..
    We do our crop rotations in our allotments 🙂 And it will be a find day when we stop commercially spraying all the chemicals upon our soil and on our foods crops ..

    Again lots of interesting stories Brad..
    Have an Awesome weekend too… Here its Mother’s Day tomorrow, Looking forward to that 🙂

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  3. Happy Mother’s Day Sue! Thanks for the cultural lesson. 🙂 I’m ingrained with it being in early May here. Those photographers must be very compassionate. Thanks for sharing your favorites stories. I’m not surprised at your picks with your love for nature, peace and compassion!
    Have a wonderful Mother’s Day and inspiring week. Hugs! 🙂

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  4. Brad, you are so inspiring! I’m a fan of ‘The Voice’ in English and French as well… it’s amazing to witness how much talent young people bring in on stages… their old souls are just showing off in all splendor…
    And, by the way, while I approach my 50th anniversary, I’ll take the next two years to plan a KINDNESS birthday inspired by the 60-year-old-lady you wrote about.
    Wonderful! It’s a pleasure reading you.
    Have a glorious spring. Hugs

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  5. Hi Camelia. It’s so nice to see you and your comments on my blog! The talent of the many young artists is truly amazing, but I bet you see that routinely in your classrooms. I’m delighted you are considering a special way to celebrate your 50th birthday. I’m already past that one so I might need to plan for the 60th! 🙂
    Thank you for brightening my day. Have a beautiful spring.

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  8. You’re right. That video about Harrison brought tears to my eyes. 🙂
    These posts – awesome stories – are my absolute favorites that you do. Lately, I haven’t had a lot of time to comment, but these definitely are a great way to end/start my week. 😀
    I hope you’ve been well!

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  9. Hey Brad…great stories! Loved the Harrison Craig story…yes…singing does seem to override stuttering. I used singing and music when I worked with children who had autism as well. I love music in all forms and intuitively it makes sense that it could facilitate speech and language. We connect to music on many levels…I know I have heard music and it can immediately make me cry…not in a bad way…but in a very touched way. I always thought that more research was needed to study the impact of music in relation to communication disorders. Thanks Brad…great batch! Hope you have a super weekend! ❤

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  10. That is wonderful Lorrie. I didn’t know you worked with children who had autism. I’m not surprised that music helps given the vibrational and emotional power of music. I think it touches a deep place for many of us and agree it would be good to see more music used and researched for healing and helping people. I remember reading that certain classical music like Mozart has a calming and boosting effect on learning.

    To music and fun! 🙂

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    • 🙂 Yes, Brad…to music and fun!! I did a practicum in a school for autistic children while in graduate school. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever been exposed to. One family had FOUR children who had autism…each a year or two apart in age!! I often think of them and wonder how they are….it is hard to imagine how they were able to cope. There are so many things we can see in this life that can have a huge impact on us…and make us truly count our blessings everyday!! Have a super Sunday, Brad!! ❤

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  11. My goodness, it takes an incredibly strong individual to draw upon their reservoir of compassion to be a part of “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep”. I will say, without reservation, that I would be unable to withstand the feeling of pain and suffering that accompanies such a difficult situation in a time during our lives that is supposed to be filled with hope, happiness, and joy. I read this story and suddenly felt a very empty void inside for the families that experience this unbelievably heart-wrenching experience. I have a tremendous amount of respect (and gratitude) for these volunteers who provide such a compassionate heart.

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    • Absolutely Dave. I don’t know how the families or the volunteers deal with it. But I guess sometimes we rise to the challenges and find new capacities. I’d like to think I’m doing that now. Thanks for your kind, compassionate heart.

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