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DawsonOpinion
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 2018
This is a page of opinion — ours, yours and
others. Signed columns and cartoons are the
opinions of the writers and artists, and they
may not reflect our views.
Autistic teen
reminds us
that kindness
is for everyone
Just when you think there is no place left
in this politically toxic, mudslinging, in-
your-face world for any goodness, along
comes 17-year-old Jordyn Moore, a teenager
from Forsyth County, to happily prove us
wrong.
Jordyn is autistic and straggles with the
skills that most of us take for granted, but
with the help of supportive parents, a good
friend named
Sarah
Chirchirillo and
an occupational
therapist, she is
running her own
business by fold
ing, packaging
and shipping
T-shirts that say “Be Kind to Everyone.”
The project was the idea of her parents,
Ben and Jackie Moore, and was intended as
a way to prepare Jordyn to successfully enter
the workforce upon her graduation from
school. No big deal, just a few weeks in the
summer.
So, how did this all come about? Ms.
Moore said, “My husband and I were out on
a ‘date night’ and were talking about Jordyn
and her future. We decided that we needed to
change our focus from worrying about her to
doing something positive.” From that came
the idea of a T-shirt. And not just any T-shirt,
but one emblazoned with “Be Kind to
Everyone.”
Ms. Moore said her philosophy is we can
be anything we want to be, so why not be
kind? Why not, indeed? She went to the
internet to see if someone was using that
term. No, they weren’t. She checked to see if
it would be available as an internet address.
Yes, it was. Are you beginning to see a trend
here? Like good things can actually happen
to really good people.
Ms. Moore said, “When we started out, we
were just trying to give Jordyn some experi
ence folding and packing the shirts. We were
hoping we might sell 40 or so T-shirts to
family members.”
That was 8,500 T-shirts ago. Shipped to all
50 states. So much for that summer project.
But it gets even better. Jordyn has become a
celebrity at Lambert High School. Students
and teachers are wearing “Be Kind to
Everyone” shirts and folks are asking to have
their picture made with her and talking to her
about the project. “It has truly changed her
life,” said Ms. Moore.
As for Ms. Moore, she is beginning to be
asked to appear before school groups in
other states to talk about kindness being a
potential antidote to bullying.
People who have purchased “Be Kind to
Everyone” shirts tell Ms. Moore they find
themselves being — well — kinder and dis
cover that people are nicer to them in return.
That applies not only on these shores but to
folks who have worn them overseas. “It’s
hard to be a jerk when you are being kind,”
she says. Now, that will preach.
Growing up in the South, I was raised to
be kind. Remember the Golden Rule. Love
your neighbor. Respect your elders. Don’t
interrupt people while they are talking. I was
taught to say “yes, ma’am” and “yes, sir”
and “thank you” and for the most part, I still
do. There is always the chance that Daddy is
watching from heaven.
But I’m not as nice as I used to be. I suffer
fools poorly. I am impatient and I occasion
ally say or write something I probably would
have been better off to have let pass. Clearly,
I am a candidate for one of Jordyn’s T-shirts.
But then, so is the president of the United
States, members of Congress, the pathetic
souls who produce anonymous rants on
social media, my colleagues in the media
and all the mean-spirited special interest
groups spouting hate. Kindness is in short
supply these days.
That is where Jordyn Moore comes in.
What started out as a small effort to teach an
autistic child some basic skills for the future
has grown into something far beyond what
the Moore family ever imagined. Where is
the project headed? “We have no idea,” Ms.
Moore says. “I just know our family spends
every evening after dinner in the basement
helping Jordyn fulfill the orders we have
received.” And Jordyn seems to have found
full-time work running a business that can
make a difference in her life and in ours.
You can purchase your very own “Be Kind
to Everyone” shirt at www.bekindtoevery-
one.com and you can follow this remarkable
story on her Facebook page.
Thank you, Jordyn Moore, and family for
reminding us that we have a better side than
what we sometimes show. It is hard to be a
jerk when you are being kind.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough atdick@dickyar-
brough.com; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, GA
31139; online at dickyarbrough.com or on
Facebook at wvwv.facebook.com/dickyarb.
DICKYARBROUGH
Columnist
My life as a strong-willed
I have learned something
recently.
Being a strong-willed
woman is a bit of a blessing
and a curse.
I can’t help how I am, I
can’t.
It’s in my blood to be
strong-willed or stubborn.
Upfront and unflinching.
Some people call it a few
other names.
But it is something I can’t
help.
Passivity is not something I
do well, nor am I weak or sub
servient.
Having the opposite charac
teristics of these traits is not
always welcomed in the com
pany of some.
Again, it can get you called
some pretty ugly names if you
are a woman — behind your
back and even sometimes to
your face.
When a man stands up for
himself or states his opinion
passionately, he is called an
alpha male; a woman, it
seems, is supposed to smile
and nod and keep her thoughts
to herself lest she come across
as negative.
A man complaining is sim
ply voicing what needs to be
done; a woman is whining and
bitter, even if she is making
valid points.
Some people may appreci
ate this dynamism.
But it’s not a personality for
everyone.
“You must have had a
mouthy mother raising you,”
u
SUDIE CROUCH
Columnist
someone said in an accusatory
tone one day.
“Nope,” I replied. “Mama is
very gentle and kind; she just
doesn’t take any guff off any
one.”
No, the crazy redhead can’t
be blamed for the way I am.
Nor can the elder redhead.
Those two gave me exam
ples but they aren’t the cause.
I’d likely place the blame on
my grandfather and uncle,
with them encouraging me to
speak my mind and defend
my position when necessary.
Both never had a problem
with Granny being stubborn
and strong-willed; if anything,
my Pop seemed to encourage
it.
“Chicken,” he would begin,
calling her by his pet name for
her. “You need to deal with
these folks. They ain’t listen
ing to me.”
I couldn’t imagine someone
not listening to my grandfa
ther. He could be quite impos
ing himself. But Granny had a
way of stating her purpose that
made people take notice.
Being tenacious and
unshakeable are just not traits
that are considered feminine.
But whenever something
happened when I was young
er, it would be my grandfather
telling me to stand my ground.
“Don’t you let someone ran
over you,” he would tell me. “I
taught you better than that.”
When I got older, and start
ed working, I found that could
be problematic in the work
force.
Some people want you to
ignore any problems that exist
and not make waves or chang
es, even if they are for the bet
ter.
I quickly grew frustrated
with some of the things that
were occurring and said so.
Big mistake. Huge.
My words were not wel
comed.
“They don’t want things to
get better,” I told Mama.
“They just want things to be
the same and us just suck it up
and deal with it.”
“That’s life,” she replied.
“Stand up for what you can,
for what is worth the fight, and
let the rest go.”
But I couldn’t.
I would get upset and voice
my complaints and concerns. I
would fight for the underdog.
I would be as pigheaded and
determined as my grandfather
could be until I would reach a
breaking point and quit.
“That’s why your granddad-
dy has been self-employed
most of his life,” Granny said.
“He can’t stand people telling
him to do foolish things.”
I could see his point.
woman
But foolishness was ram
pant it seemed.
There have been a few plac
es that embraced my strong-
willed expressions and
allowed me to be myself.
Even if it was just a matter of
letting me just be able to speak
my peace.
Finding a way to express
myself in a way that does not
come across as strident or
unyielding is something I have
been trying to work on but
doesn’t always happen.
Sometimes, I am not able to
find that balance.
But why should I have to?
Why is it so wrong for me
to be strong-willed? Or stub
born?
Or maybe even a little bit of
a mess at times?
Is that really such a bad
thing?
Maybe it would be easier if
I was just more ladylike and
quieter. Maybe I should keep
my opinions to myself and not
try to stand up for things as
much.
Or maybe I will try to take
the bite out of my tone.
I have tried in the past.
I don’t know that it is really
possible.
Nor that I really want to
change.
Sudie Crouch is an award win
ning humor columnist and
author of the recently e-pub-
lished novel, "The Dahlman
Files: A Tony Dahlman
Paranormal Mystery."
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