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There is so much negative or just plain bad news promoted today that we sometimes forget that legions of everyday Americans do so much good to help other people. Most of the people who do random acts of kindness want no credit; no accolades; no fanfare or feathers in their hat.

Just a week ago, I was coming home from work and as I slowed down near the intersection of Burbank and Bonita streets, I could see someone lying in the street in a drizzling rain. I parked my car and walked toward a young lady who appeared to have slid off her motor bike and broken her ankle. Almost without notice, other strangers stopped.

One lady knelt down to comfort the fallen bike rider. Another lady came back with a blanket to put over the injured woman. Another person went to get the injured woman's husband. Meanwhile, I became a citizen traffic director until Middletown police and the emergency squad arrived. All of these people came together selflessly to demonstrate the real meaning of random acts of kindness.

But random acts of kindness are as numerous as there are people to do these good deeds. For me, I guess random acts of kindness began at home as a kid. I watched Mom raise her disabled sister's family in the projects. "Don't tell your father I bought these groceries for Aunt Myrtle," were Mom's favorite words. Dad, on the other hand, had his own kindness thing going on. He specialized in giving young men their first jobs at his gas station. He would co-sign for many of these young men's first cars, and Dad came right out of his pocket to feed the hungry when he could.

Random acts of kindness may seem small to the person who extend the favor but they are huge to the person who receives. I've seen a neighbor whose car engine blows up and another neighbor comes to the rescue and gives him one of his cars to use for free until his car is repaired.

Then there are all of the men and women who — year after year — come out of their own pockets to send kids to summer camp. They pay fees to sponsor children to play Pee Wee football, Knothole baseball and SAY soccer. These random acts of kindness are the stuff that builds boys and girls into men and women.

Teachers are great at eliciting random acts of kindness, too. Teachers have been known to pay off school fees for some students who are in dire straits. Teachers come to school early and stay late just to help those students who need extra help. Teachers take their own money to buy school supplies and other classroom educational items. Teachers buy lunches in bunches for kids who are in need.

Special thanks to all of the "Big Mamas" of the world who, through their kindness, raised their own children; their children's children; and other people's children, who didn't have anyone to care for them. It was Big Mama who served as a cook, bottle washer, nurse and disciplinarian, and gave plenty of hugs and kisses of love. And when life kicked you in the behind when you got older, Big Mama would let you come back home to regroup.

Legions of people every day commit random acts of kindness just like they breathe a breath of fresh air. They take a friend to work; take a neighbor child to soccer/football/basketball/baseball practice; buy a newspaper and a cup of coffee for a friend; keep other people's children without charging a fee; tutor a child without pay; buy ice cream from the ice cream man's truck for the neighborhood kids; rake leaves or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor; visit people in the nursing home whom you really do not know; or stop by to pray for someone who is going through a crisis.

You'll never know when you'll get an opportunity to commit a random act of kindness. Just be prepared. I still wonder — how did the young lady recover who fell off her motor bike? What was her name? Who were the other people who stopped to help her?

Elmon W. Prier is a veteran educator and minister. His e-mail address is eprier@cinci.rr.com.