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lets. Be that vampire slayer but snap that wooden and
There is a stranger sitting across from you on the
subway. That stranger probably needs a hug or
perhaps a warm smile or friendly elbow bump in
this time of the COVID pandemic. Even if there
is an unsettling absence in their eyes. They could
have frizzled, unkempt, and greasy hair. Their
teeth could be yellow and jagged. Their limbs
could be wrapped in archaic clothes that have been
stained by the gruelingly slow passing of thousands
upon thousands of years. They have been a mon-
ster like this for a while; entombed in their own
worries. Yes, they could look scary, but, in fact, the
scarier they look, the more likely they need that
gesture of kindness.
Now, this stranger does not have frizzled hair,
gnashing yellow shark-teeth, and disturbingly
unset eyes. This person could be a student, a well-
groomed businessman, a lawyer, a teacher. This
person is a human being, not a monster. As you sit
there on the subway, staring at this person across
from you, you start to notice how well dressed they
are, and how well kept they appear. What you do
not notice, are the monsters inside of them.
There could be a lonely ghost, trapped in the tower
of their mind. There could be a broken heart in
their chest. There could be an angry, frizzy haired,
werewolf bashing about inside their body be-
cause they have been wronged. There could be a
great white shark swimming in their heart, and
that beast is hungry for a word, a glance, a hint of
goodness among his fellows.
Hidden monsters are terrifying. They slither
about inside of everyone. This modern-day world
is brimming in a cauldron of depression and
anxiety, hardship and heartbreak, sickness, and
confusion. Hence why a different breed of mon-
sters has sprouted from the anxieties within the
modern-day man; harmless to us, but harmful to
their owners. There is a curse upon them that has
never left them alone. Humans are familiar with
the curse of a bad day, heartbreak, and hardship,
but look back on those days and see if anyone was
there.
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Many fortunate people grew up with parents who
were there for them through the difficulties of
growing up. Kindness was an unconditional gift
given from family and friends. We know how
much kindness helps, so it is important to make
sure other people feel that as well.
Kindness is a healing spell as bullying is a disman-
tling and belittling curse. It is a shield against the
raging and raining hurricanes of this world’s nega-
tive happenings. Kindness lets the tears of the hurt
and broken stray from their eyes and melt back
into their slowly healing hearts. Kindness is a suit
of armor and an umbrella at the same time.
So, this person, sitting across from you on the
subway, may have their own monster or ghost
running amuck in their skull, pulling the strings
of worry. It could be destroying them. What they
are secretly dealing with in their own forms of
seemingly resilient silence, they cannot defeat on
their own. An inner conflict needs the occasional
offering of help. There is never a clear answer to
any problem which causes an emotional crisis in
anyone, but there is one thing that may help.
Kindness takes no power. It takes an immense
amount of bravery. Be that shivering and goose-
bump ridden priest as he enters that hapless room
of hellish mists and guttural growling. Be that
werewolf hunter but throw away those silver bul-
ZGP Magazine
splintery stake in half. Be brave and give this person an We all have a pond’s worth of kindness constantly
example of courage through kindness. working through a freezing and thawing in our hearts.
Just get a little bucket, retrieve a puddle’s worth of
Look them in the eyes, past that glossing of walls kindness from your heart’s friendly pond, and splash
which they have erected for a defense and tell them this kindness against the world. Watch the smiles nev-
with the utmost certainty that things will be okay. Yes, er freeze in the winter of global hardships.
you are strangers, but because of kindness, the rubric
of strangers can vanish to reveal the new label of hu- What gothic nightmare would this already troubled
mans. This could change their day and inject a conta- world be without the celestial beacons of kindness? Let
gious sprouting of strength into their weakened and the world never witness something so cold. Let your-
shriveled biceps of confidence. Embrace the monsters, selves be brave throughout your embracing of strang-
envelope them. Let that lonely ghost know that they ers. Revive smiles. Be that brave knight of kindness,
are not alone. They do not need to haunt themselves. but wield no weapons, wield the gleaming words of
kindness as feathery and weightless as sunlight. Do
Be there in the middle of the subway, encouraging a this, follow these suggestions of bravery, and watch the
stranger who has let their eyeballs become glossed over people around you become safer, happier, and kinder.
with the clouds of doubt. Bat away that cloudy plating Do not only be kind to strangers but be kind to your-
of doom and bring in sunshine to that stranger. Watch self. That will sharpen and strengthen your resolve to
the smile that will become unsheathed upon their face change a harden world into a softer place.
like a sword. That is a sign that they will be braver
against their inner conflicts and such demons. Watch the power of kindness illuminate everything as
your kindness lights up that stranger on the subway.
It does not even have to be an attention getting ges- Ignore the growls and chilling howls of their monsters.
ture. It can be a simple greeting or words of encour- Stand up, depart from your comfy subway seat, and
agement. “You got this.” “Stay strong.” Those are cli- take valiantly placed steps towards a stranger in need
che, cheesy even, but let your words of encouragement with merely ten seconds of kindness. Open your arms,
drip into the cracks of broken hearts, settle, river down open your hearts, and watch that person’s monster
every scar and wound, and dry like cement in a final shrivel, fade, and vanish in the most powerful lan-
act of selfless bravery. Walk away knowing you revived terned hue of a human’s heart. Kindness always wins.
a minute percentage of strength in a stranger. Go It will always calm that werewolf among us. It will al-
home knowing that you may have just very well made ways bring satisfaction to the sharks who crave feeling
someone’s day. This person may also do the same thing cared for, and no one will have to be bit again. So be
to a stranger in the future, starting a fearless parade of kind to that stranger on the subway.
spreading kindness.
Kindness is not a thing of scientific wonder. People do
not need to tunnel deep into the wordy realms of psy-
chology to learn about being kind, and to learn about
how awesome it feels to have someone be kind to you.
Kindness is a powerful bravery that sprouts and grows
from the heart. It can rocket out from strong hearts
and broken hearts. It belongs to everyone, thus should
be given to everyone. Cold people are capable of giving
and receiving this golden, yet free, form of protective
magic. Nicholas Leonard is a 20-year-old novelist and poet.
He has self-published gothic works such as Death
Wears Epaulets, 40,000 Words and The Dreadful Dis-
Let kindness be the blade that slays and slaughters fear, turbance Of Donald Dodfrey Dawn. His works seem
hardship, and heartbreak forever. Use this light and to be satire of situations from his life with immense
feathery paintbrush to paint smiles upon the faces and dramatic and gloomy flares tattooing every word he
profiles of the broken. It is never a quick fix, but it is dares to write.
another piece of duct tape to hold a fracturing statue
together for one more day.
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