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Building Bonds in Our Community
by Caroline Colwell

We asked Global Beat writers to describe a single heroic act that could improve their community. Here’s what Caroline Colwell, a contributor from California, had to say.

A hero is not limited by the confines of its traditional definition. A hero can be defined as anyone who improves the lives of others, whether it is a grand gesture or a seemingly insignificant act of kindness. While courageous feats never fail to impress, it is often the small words of encouragement we offer to one another that have the greatest impact on our communities.

Nothing could improve my suburban town in Northern California more than a greater effort to build bonds and friendships within the local community. While hard work and self-advancement are regularly emphasized in my relatively prosperous community, we risk of losing a sense of association and friendship, as the emphasis on self-improvement unfortunately can steer us in the direction of narrow-minded obsession, leaving us detached from one another. As a result, we continue to recognize fewer people every time we walk through town. Taking the time to greet someone with an attentive smile and a personal connection has a greater impact than one can imagine. This simple act can inspire a confidence and satisfaction in others that may continue to spread. Ignoring that constant sense of urgency that the contemporary world arouses in us and devoting a minute of our time to boosting another person’s confidence can create heroes out of all of us.

Meet Gracie Griffin, one of the 2012 KidSpirit Award winners for poetry. Gracie reads her poem “With a Pencil in My Hand” in a video on our YouTube channel. Watch it here or read her original poem in our Creativity and Imagination issue. Congratulations to all of our KidSpirit Award winners!

In another video from our Awards celebration, Eleanor Bennett, one of the 2012 KidSpirit Award winners for photography, describes the process of taking her award-winning photograph. Take a behind-the-scenes peek at this wonderful piece of art on our YouTube channel!

Odyssey Networks, in conjunction with the US Department of State, created a campaign to help promote interfaith and intercultural understanding called 2012 Hours Against Hate. Young people around the country were asked to spend one hour with someone different from themselves and write about it. Vidushi Sharma and Susanna Olson, two KidSpirit contributors, had their experience documented in this incredible video!