Sometimes, a small act of kindness can spark something much bigger.
This past weekend, I was packing up gear for a radio remote, hauling a giant pop-up tent and a folded table through the lobby of Homeslice Media at 333 West Boulevard in Rapid City. Arms full and slightly struggling, I stepped off the elevator and so did another man, exiting from the elevator next to mine.
Without hesitation, he kindly asked, “Can I carry that for you?”
I gave the usual response so many of us do when we’re trying to be polite: “No, it’s okay. I can get it. Thank you though, sir. You are so kind.”
But he asked again: “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Still, he wasn’t done. “Let me just carry that tent for you,” he insisted. And just then, my fiancé Michael walked up to help. The man immediately shifted and said, “Well then let me carry the table.” He picked it up without another word and walked it all the way to our vehicle, even helping Michael load it in.
I’d never met this man before, but his kindness led me to introduce myself.
“What’s your name, sir?”
He smiled. “Darryl.”
I thanked him sincerely and watched him walk back to his work van, which the side of it read KT Connections.
I instantly thought: What a great man. And what a lucky company to have him.
Michael and I drove away talking about how that simple moment changed the tone of the day. And that’s when it hit me: I want to start a column in The Rapid City Post that celebrates people like Darryl. People who take a moment to help, to notice, to care. People who remind us there’s still a lot of good in the world.
So here we are.
The Daily Good will be a space dedicated to sharing uplifting, real-life stories of kindness, courage, and community right here in the Black Hills. Not every story will be dramatic. Some, like Darryl’s, are beautifully simple. But every one of them matters.
If you’ve witnessed a good deed, big or small, I want to hear about it. Let’s fill a little more of the page (and our hearts) with reminders that love makes the world go ‘round. And thanks to Darryl, mine sure turned around that day.
Please send in yours to thedailygood@rapidcitypost.com.
Let’s share the good, one story at a time
