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Slogan So What?

"Be Prepared" is the Boy Scouts motto. I would hazard a guess a fair amount of people know this. What's not so known is the Boy Scout Slogan.

"Do A Good Turn Daily"

When I first read that in my BSA Handbook I had no idea what it meant. My Dad fully explained it to me as young boy.

My reaction was priceless, according to my Dad.

Me: "That's ridiculous! What do I get outta helping someone or doing something nice and positive for someone else everyday?"
Dad: "Nothing but the satisfaction of helping, sonny boy. It'll make the world a better place. Especially if everyone did it, not just Boy Scouts of America."
Me: "Rubbish, I say."
Dad: "Well?"
Me: "Well what?"
Dad: "Well are you going to do it?"
Me: I grumbled. "Yeah, I'll do it."

And I've been doing it every day since then for the past 25 years.

That's about 9, 125 turns.

Not every turn was obvious or presented to me, either. Sometimes I had to create that opportunity by volunteering to help. As I have gotten older, I've noticed that a daily good turn is increasingly more complicated than when I was a young man.

For example, an opportunity was given to me to help someone that I felt (still do, TBH) doesn't deserve my help, let alone any help whatsoever. In fact, I wanted to ask how much $H!T did they have to eat through gritted teeth before asking me. I knew in my heart of hearts their call to me was the last resort.

They were "drowning in front of me", so instead of putting my foot on their head to ensure that they did, I extended my "hand of help".

9,126 turns done.

I didn't state that for self-inflatation or to garner sympathy from you, the reader. In the description of the slogan is does state to help everyone, despite the situation or how you feel - help is intended to be indiscriminate.

I do so because when I need help, it might be from my most hated enemy. Most likely not to happen, but I've gonna 'be prepared' for that possibility however how impossible.

So what's my point, you ask?

That the Boy Scout Slogan is reflected in those bumper stickers of "Commit Random Act of Kindness", or "be kind" or in motivation posters of various references to this.

Do a good turn daily.

Or even that movie, Pay It Forward, and the intention behind it.

If we all did a good turn daily, Spaceship Earth might be a happy and better place to be on since we're on this ginormous ball of dirt, water and gas. Don't just think about it, do something about it by ...

Doing a good turn daily!

Teach your kids this by merely doing it in front of me. You'd be amazed what they pick up.

This has been your C Note.

'los;out

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