It doesn't take much.

Twice today, people's small, "insignificant" gestures made a difference for me.

This morning I was walking back to the dorm after class feeling relieved and a little let down that my site is done, published and working. The psychology of that is a mystery to me. I've fretted about the stupid thing for eight weeks, it works fine, got finished before the deadline, and I'm all empty inside. Armchair shrinks, have at it.

I was waiting for a green light and felt a tap on the shoulder. When I turned around, there was nobody there. So I looked over the other shoulder, and there was Alex, my Frisbee champ friend, having fooled me with the oldest trick in the book. At my age, I'm glad he didn't go with the "collapse someone's knee from behind" trick. It was heartwarming to me that he felt comfortable enough to kid around. Also was heartwarming to see that a kid his age (I'm gonna say 20) enjoys the oldest trick in the book.

About an hour later, I was at the bus stop waiting for the West Bank bus. I heard it before I saw it coming. The driver, who had an Eddie Murphy vibe, was playing some really nice jazz on a boom box he'd brought from home. How great that he risked violating protocol to bring a little extra joy and cool vibes to his passengers' days.

It transformed the bus ride from mere drudgery into a cool mini-party.

These vignettes were different from random acts of kindness. Both were a little subversive, in a friendly, benevolent, trust-building way. We all need a little more of that kind of mischief.

On a non-subversive note, I realized a few minutes after my bus ride that part of me would enjoy writing citations and/or sticking a golf club between the spokes of speedy bike riders who sneak up on pedestrians on sidewalks. I will share the road with a bicyclist if he/she will share a sidewalk with me.