【推荐1】One winter evening, Kelly was walking home from her favorite bookstore. She had bought two cookery books and three art books, and couldn’t wait to get home to read them in front of a warm fire.

“I read a lot, and love the pleasure of reading something that I want,” she said. But when she reached into her pocket, she realized that her wallet was gone. She looked around and started to retrace (折回) her steps.

“I’m down on my hands and knees, looking in the gutters (排水沟) around the streets. I go back and forth. My wallet is nowhere,” she said.

She went back to the bookstore, but nobody had turned it in. Kelly walked home hopelessly and was about to cancel her credit cards when an email appeared. It was from a man named Adam, who said he had found her wallet.

Through a name card, Adam found a way to contact Kelly and gave her his phone number and home address. Kelly had a taxi sent to Adam’s house and 20 minutes later, a small brown paper bag arrived on her front steps.

“The loveliest detail is that when I’m digging the wallet out of the bag, I suddenly find Adam has dropped a bar of chocolate at the bottom, which he can not have possibly known is my favorite,” Kelly said.

The kindness of Adam’s gesture has stayed with Kelly. She decides to look for chances to pass it on.

【推荐2】The other day, I was purchasing some gifts in a store. Standing at the counter was an elderly lady who immediately drew my attention. She looked to be at my mother's age. I smiled to her while noticing her shock of white hair, clear blue eyes behind her glasses and gentle smile.

She smiled back and asked, “What's your name?”? I replied, “Seena. What's yours?” Her answer was “What a lovely name. My name is Rose.”

After putting away her wallet, Rose searched through her bag and wasn't having an easy time. She asked me, “Would you mind helping me look for something in my bag? It's so heavy, and I can never find anything.” Rose was melting my heart.

“Sure. What are you looking for?” I asked. She replied, “I need to find my telephone book so I can call a taxi.” I asked her where she was going, and Rose responded with the “Simpson House”. I felt a warm connection to my new acquaintance and said, “I pass right by Simpson House. I'd be happy to drive you home.” Rose responded jokingly, “Are you sure I'm a good person?” I replied, “I am as sure as I can be. Let's go.”

We walked out to my car and I opened the door for her. She said, “I'm OK getting in but I need some help with the seatbelt.” It reminded me of all the times my mom waited for my assistance to get into my car.

Once we were driving, Rose said, “In all my years nobody ever offered to give me a ride. I feel blessed to know you.” Rose did most of the talking, and we laughed a lot.

We arrived at her place. I got out of the car to meet her on the passenger's side and to open her door. She said, “I can get out.” Rose's parting words were “I hope I see you again,” and mine were “I would like that.” With a wave, we both walked away.

【推荐1】While taking my boat down the inland waterway to Florida a few weeks ago, I decided to tie up at Georgetown, South Carolina, for the night and visit with an old friend. As we approached the Esso dock, I saw him through my binoculars standing there awaiting us. Tall and straight as an arrow he stood, facing a cold, biting wind-truly a picture of a strong man. Yes, the man was our elder statesman, Bernard Baruch.

As he sat us in his famous Hobcaw Barony for dinner, Mr. Baruch, in his eighty-second year, talked not of the past but of present problems and the future with a wonderful sparkle in his eyes-obviously still a dynamic person. I couldn’t help but wonder what was the secret of this great man’s value to the world at 82? The answer is his unsatisfied desire to keep being productive.

Recently I walked into the locker room of a rather well-known golf club. It was in the late afternoon and most of the members had left for their homes, but I saw a half-dozen or so middle-aged men were still seated at tables, talking aimlessly and drinking more than was good for them. Strangely enough, these men were seemingly wealthy, successful in business and respected in the community, yet something very important was missing; otherwise, there would not have been the constant efforts to escape the realities of life through Scotch and soda. They knew, each one of them, that their productivity had ceased. When a fruit tree ceases to bear its fruit, it is dying. And it is even so with man.

What is the answer to a long and happy existence in this world of ours, apart from always being productive? I think I found it long ago in a passage from the Bible. The words were few, but they became memorably impressed on my mind: “In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread. ”

【推荐2】My first goal: try not to look so scared. It sounds easy, but it actually took quite a few tries before I could relax from the mouth open, eyes wide expression that being on roller skates gave me. But not looking scared was something I knew I could achieve and helped me stick with the painfully embarrassing and exciting process of trying to learn to roller skate.

I picked up roller skating at the end of 2021. I have thrown myself into this hobby wholeheartedly, in a way that surprises me sometimes. It feels a lot like love. That said, it did take me a while to get comfortable on skates, and as an adult, I’m not used to feeling that awkward in my body. I got really familiar with picking myself off the floor.

I skated a few times as a kid, but never enough to get good. So starting as a grown-up, with grown-up knees, I was very careful. I signed up for online classes. In skate class, they taught me to wear protective gear(用具), to clap when someone falls, and to encourage them. Falling means you’re trying, and everyone falls in skating. That possible danger almost makes it more fun, the little thrill of possibility that you might fall, a likelihood when you first start out that gradually decreases the more you practice — but never to zero.

I’ve been skating for almost a year now, and I don’t look so scared on wheels anymore. I’ve made a lot of progress. The other day I joyfully skated past an older woman on the rink and she said, almost under her breath, “My goal is to skate like you.” I tried to contain my pride. “Keep at it!” I yelled over my shoulder. A few minutes later, I tripped, fell, quickly picked myself up, and then kept at it.

【推荐3】It’s still fresh in my memory: the feeling of making my first wooden surfboard. There was the excitement of what I was making: the fact I was going to play in the ocean with it. Then at last walking into the water with my new board and riding the waves as they crashed to the shore. All on a piece of wood that I had shaped myself, by hand.

It was my final year at university and I promised myself then that this was going to remain a part of my life in some form forever.

Making that first board had brought together two of my great loves: for the sea, and for trees. I grew up in Buckingham shire, a long way from the ocean, but thankfully each summer we would make a family trip to the Cornish coast. It was on these holidays that I had my first taste of playing in the energy of the surf, experiencing the exciting feeling of being carried towards the beach by the rolling waves. From the first ride, I was hooked.

My other great passion was trees. The smell of the earth, the sound of the branches swinging in the wind and the crunching of leaves underfoot all bring about a sense of calm and wonder. It felt natural for me to explore the connection I felt with trees. So, in my early teens, I began crafting things from wood.

When the time came to leave university in 2009, I wasn’t alone. I was with my girlfriend, who is now my wife, and we had two options. It was either head back home for a life around London, or take a risk and try and make a life for ourselves in Cornwall.

We loaded our car and followed the setting sun. The ocean was calling.