One

Warren Stuart.

I didn't know Warren well, I was a frequent visitor of his store "the Attic" though to be fair, it was equal parts more curio shop than "store" as it held endless discoveries to be held and wondered at. Warren was picking before picking was cool, I always wondered what depths he plumbed for his finds. The first item I purchased from Warren was a Transvision Vamp album, purchased entirely for the single "sex kick." The Attic is a memory for me, I was in my 20's living in downtown Calgary and I travelled the streets and avenues with the zeal and abandon of a child exploring their boundless imagination. 

Then The Attic was no more, I moved to the suburbs, escalating real estate costs saw independent shops swallowed up by franchises and national retail giants.

I grew up and took a job with a bank call centre... ok half that's true. I did work in a bank call centre. A sea of tribicles, cutting a wall off a cubicle was an instant 25% cost savings, should have been a character vacuum... It wasn't. Working outbound telemarketing cues I met Danielle.

Danielle and I clicked and would hold conversations in between calls that sounded like a morning radio team. I remember when the Warren, Danielle and The Attic link clicked and I turned into a fan boy. We had fun in the fun desert. I went to Danielle's stagette party.

The years passed and I moved into a branch job and then...

I was at home when I got the call. 

My twin brother was working with Danielle when Warren was stolen, tears streamed down my face as my mind reeled back to the talks with Danielle, the love Danielle and Warren shared.

Warren would have turned 50 this year and to make a difference I have committed to 50 random acts of kindness. Being in career limbo, spreading over part time jobs and contract work I saw this as a release into creativity into positivity.

Great creations didn't set out to be the Mona Lisa, J K Rowling didn't set out to write a game changing series in Harry Potter, it just happened, so be open to the movements of the winds if kindness and let your sails adjust to its leading.

This past Christmas my wife bought me the DDP Yoga Extreme pack and I anxiously anticipated  its delivery. After waiting some time I contacted DDP Yoga and within moments had a reply that it was delivered... so I set out to the mailbox in the snow.., and stopped. The winds iof kindness said - shovel your neighbour's walk, and the next one, and the next one. Three blocks later I completed act one of fifty. One. Take one and add to it and compound it and the limits are obliterated.

As I leaned my old fibromyalgia frame on the shovel I said a prayer and chatted with Warren, we had a laugh and I felt he had joy for this movement started in his memory. 

Go and be kind to one another, especially when others don't deserve it, that's when they need it most.