Kindness is in - Meth Pipes are out

What you focus on will expand

My hometown city, a place I have called home, where I went to university, is, by most standards, small and rough around the edges. In a very 2025 way, I stay updated with what is happening in the city through a Regina business Facebook account. The irony is not lost on me: a Regina garbage disposal company has risen through social media to be the heartbeat of current happenings and has a cult following by posting local memes and videos. They are anywhere and everywhere in the city and what would normally stay a secret in a back alley or downtown side street is now seeing the light of social media day. The account is raw and edgy, creating a space where followers contribute their reality videos or photos of any dramatic things they encounter within the city.

This week I was on social media and saw a video with a text overlay “Normalize throwing out meth pipes” The video was a man off camera telling an irate, probably on drugs person in an alley that It was not okay to be doing meth there because families live in this building and children walk by. The man videoing grabbed what was, apparently, a meth pipe and, with as much flourish as a mic drop, thudded the apparatus off the bottom of the dumpster.

What did I just watch?

Don't get me wrong- I agree with the concept of getting drugs out of back alleys and away from children. From the looks of the person in the video, I also agree he could use an intervention. But how have we gotten to a place where we have to normalize this? Throwing out Meth pipes? Sigh. It made my heart heavy.

As I continued to scroll, I saw :

“When you see something beautiful in someone, tell them. It may take seconds to say, but for them, it could last a lifetime.”

I decided to send it to five people who popped into my mind. For each one, I added a short sentence like, "This is a strength of yours" or "This is you, my friend." I know the reality, and I don’t think it is enough—the statistic is that people hear two compliments or positive statements a week.

Let me restate that—at best, the highest percentage of people, 25%, only hear 2 compliments a week. At worst, 5% never have received a compliment.

What I want to normalize is sending positive messages and compliments.

Let's normalize sending positive messages.

Expand our joy.

Become a force of happiness.

If you see something positive happening, send it to me.

If you see a random act of kindness, I want to see it, too.

If you follow someone doing good in the world - let’s share it.

Who do you know that is sending positive messages into the world that I should know?

Much love,

Leanne