Wednesday, 19 May 2010

In which it turns out they really DO come in threes

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

Just like buses, after all, which turns out to be very apt, considering the content of this little video clip.

I sometimes get a little baffled by the madness and the sadness of the world (too many Leonard Cohen songs at a formative age). It is easy to read the news and feel downhearted: everyone seems so cross and intractable, and they will be spilling the oil and fighting the wars and roaring at each other over the despatch box and bitching from the sidelines. This morning, I actually set up a file on my computer where I am going to store snippets of good news, at a feeble attempt at balance. The first item was a lovely story about a man at Kew saving a tiny orchid from extinction.

I have enormous faith in the goodness of human nature, but sometimes it feels like I am hanging on by my fingernails.

All this was racing around in my head today when I paid my usual visit to the majestic Daily Dish. And there, in a perfect Jungian storm of synchronicity and collective unconsious and I don't know what else, there was GOOD NEWS. There were human beings at their sweetest and funniest and kindest. There was a man with a smile the size of Poland.

I can't introduce it any better than Andrew Sullivan did:

In Denmark, Mukhtar the bus driver had a birthday. He worked that day. His regular passengers had an idea:

 

I must admit, it did actually make me cry.

Hurrah for the lovely Danes, and their buses, and the enchanting people who drive them.

16 comments:

  1. Oh dear my second comment of the day! But I just had to say thank you so much for posting that video - it is so lovely and really quite moving xxx

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  2. That was so lovely, so uplifting as you say. Danes are the happiest people I've ever come across; they smile and laugh all the time. Great post. xx

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  3. Ruthie Jay - please NEVER apologise for leaving comments. I adore them. And yours are so very kind.

    Glad you liked the video. It really warmed my heart. I kept thinking he must be the most lovely man to have moved his passengers to do such a thing for him.

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  4. Helena - I did wonder about the Danes. I've always had a secret suspicion that they were a perfectly marvellous people, but never had any concrete proof. Now there is this lovely video and your testimony. So nice to know a completely irrational hunch was right after all.

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  5. Oh that made me cry too. How lovely, thank you for sharing.

    I loved the way his face changed - nervous when the chap with the trumpet started playing and then that huge smile when he worked out what was going on. Aspiring actors could learn some great facial expressions from watching this.

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  6. I've just spread this post all over twitter and facebook and sent it to my best friends. To remember that there is goodness in the world is such a lovely thing. Thank you, thank you. I LOVED it.
    xxx

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  7. Cal - so agree about the face. It was an absolute poem.

    Ah, Miss W - thank you, as always, for spreading the Love. An hour after finding this little clip, I am STILL smiling. Lovely to think of it getting all the way to you in California and then being shot off again to all points east and west. The power of the good old internet.
    x

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  8. This made my heart soar and also made me weep. So beautiful - was so wonderful to bring such beauty to jaded Los Angeles.

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  9. Have you ever been to Denmark? I lived there, sadly only for a year, but for me, it is the best place on the planet. I do like living in England, but Danes just get a lot more things right:-) Like childcare, equality (in every sense), caring for the environment...I could go on.

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  10. Thank you so much for this - it has made my day! What a wonderful man to insprie such loveliness in other people. I laughed and I cried and I'll pass it on.

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  11. Oh that was so lovely! I've never commented on here before Tania but I have been reading this blog steadily for many months now and I adore it. Your book was what put me onto this blog. It is an incredible book and I came across it just when I really needed it and I found a rare bit of peace in it. It currently sits on my bedside table and I revisit it most nights before bed. Thank you so much for writing it.

    I actually wanted to ask you about Simon Blackburn who you mentioned in the moral relativism section. I came across a book of his in a bookstore today (but was good and refrained...) but I'm interested in reading him. Do you have any suggestions as to where to start?

    Sorry for the extremely long, rambly, sentimental message. Thank you!

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  12. It's the zeitgeist of the Internet - I find myself wanting to post something good and uplifting to offset all the things that have me despairing from the sidelines. Thanks so much for your charming contribution!

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  13. So Lovely - always a delight to think of you smiling through the jadedness.

    Anonymous - have sadly never been to Denmark, but I am so glad you confirm what I have always suspected about the good Danes.

    Jane - I laughed and cried too; thank you for passing it on.

    Sed - what incredibly kind words. So glad you are interested in Simon Blackburn. He is one of my favourite contemporary writers on philosophy, and I always think should be much better known. I saw him once at the Hay Festival and he was so charming and articulate and elegant that I hardly knew what to do with myself. His books are very short and accessible, but none the less scholarly for that. The two I would recommend most are Think, and Being Good. You should be able to get them on Amazon or from your local library. Enjoy.

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  14. How wonderful!

    It made me think about all the times I've used public transport and never really given much thought to the driver.

    What lovely, lovely people and the driver must be a very special person for them all to work together to do this for him.

    Sitting typing all weepy-eyed!

    Ali x

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  15. I have only just seen this- isn't it delighttful as everyone says- very restoring of one's faith- in all things really.

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  16. Delightful! Thank you.
    Rarely comment, but looking for an opportunity to say how much I've enjoyed your blog knew this would be perfect. As it is, in every way.
    And yes, Denmark IS very special. Du må har get godt, du. På gensyn.

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