"The News" has shown us a lot of mean people lately. Screaming at line judges for doing their jobs, stealing microphones from young singers winning an award, even interrupting the president during a speech. Sometimes watching these displays, it's easy to think that there aren't any nice people left. I know that personally, that can leave me feeling a bit helpless and despondant.

But there is something we can do!

Someone over at PaperBackSwap.com (one of my all-time favorite haunts, and a place where there are a whole mess of ridiculously nice people) posted a link to Do One Nice Thing. The idea behind this site is basically to do something nice for someone each Monday. They have lots of ideas, from small things to large things. And some small things that can become large things when done with lots of people. Some have a cost, usually minimal, and many are free.

It's easy to think that our little moments of niceness go unnoticed, but don't be so sure. I will never forget being in college and getting ready to drive to my home. I decided to spend a few dollars at the McDonald's. I ordered my food and pulled through to the payment window. When there, the girl working the checkout told me that the car ahead of me had already paid for my food. I had ordered probably $3 of food (it was back when you could get a meal for under $5) so this probably wasn't a big expense for this person, but that was probably about 13 years ago and I still remember it pretty clearly. I have even done it myself since then a few times, and it is always a great feeling to look in my rearview mirror and see that confused, then happy look on the next driver's face.

Being nice feels good. Even if it does go unnoticed by the recipient, trust me, you won't regret it. So check out the site. You may not find something there that you can do, but maybe it will get those creative juices flowing and you'll be able to think of something else. Make someone's Monday nice. I'm going to do it. Maybe we can share some of our ideas here too!