Simply Kind Tuesdays

I don't go out a lot. Perhaps I do, when you take into account the fact that I have five kids and they are involved in quite a lot of activities. So in the last year I have been to ballet eisteddfods, gym concerts, things like that.

The last two times I have been out, I noticed something curious. It could be a coincidence, could be a sign of the times, location? ...Very few people, sometimes nearly none at all, clap. Let me be more specific. Not many if at all clapped at the circus, though it was a daytime performance. Not many at all clapped at my son's university graduation.

At the circus, after awhile, they were using words to introduce the acts like "please welcome" and no one noticed the hint. Some, one in particular didn't notice the "no cameras" sign. After a few acts it was the clown's turn. I thought he was trying to engage the crowd. A modern thing, or different social skills in the group I was in?

Here are a couple of interesting links I found in relation to clapping:

If you are happy and you know it pdf

Kindness and respect:
Clap for great answers, ideas and opinions

I found an interesting comment in a blog called Dont be sad blog (comment below). It seemed to imply that people take notice when others are clapping, like the thing is worth listening too if other clap. I noticed in the graduation ceremony that the non clappers, clapped very loudly for the person who was awarded their ph d I think it was, for something to do with nursing. All the graduants in the normal degrees where all equal, so I thought they all deserved a clap. What if you were graduating and no one clapped at all, or two or three people that had come to watch you? It could be my lack of sophisication, I don't think my husband was clapping to start with, will have to ask him. But this was Parliament House for goodness sake, a very important day by their own admission.



Comment here as followsby Atabek:

...One of my friends was on a business trip once (I can’t recall which country at this time), and there was a little girl, maybe 11 or 12 years old, standing on a street corner trying to play some kind of instrument on the street ( I can’t remember what he said, maybe flute.). And, she had a little box on the ground near her. She wasn’t very good so no one paid attention to her. But, she was very cute and sincere he said. : ) She seemed really desperate and nervous, but no one really gave her any attention… Obviously, she had a reason to be doing this. He asked her why she was doing that as she is so young, and she said her mother was in the hospital so she wanted to take her some money, as they were very poor. So being the kind-hearted man he is, he told her to keep playing and began clapping like crazy every time she finished a song. He continued this, and every song or so he would put some money in her box. And he would clap a lot and cheer for her, and this gained a lot of attention, so after about 15 or 20 minutes there was a couple people watching her and putting some money in her box, then as time passed the numbers of people grew and grew. Mashallah. And, he stood by her for 2 or so hours. And, at the end she collected her money which became a couple hundred dollars value he said, from the few dollars he put himself, and they both went to visit her mother in the hospital. They took flowers and the money. When her mother heard what she was doing, she began crying.. thankful for such a beautiful daughter and also saddened due to their situation… I’ll stop there. But, may Allah make the situation of that little girl and her mother better in this life and the next, Ameen.

My friend deserves this recognition, though he doesn’t know that I am posting this..."

I also found a song called "All the trees of the field will clap their hands" by Sufjan Stevens. If anyone knows what this song or the scripture below means please comment.

"For you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

On A Limb with Claudia home of Simply Kind Tuesdays.