This morning I received a very nice surprise. A co-worker of mine who works in a different department on campus paid me a visit. The fact that she came to my office was a treat in and of itself. Since Singleton Hall is currently under renovation, I am now working in an area that is tucked away inside a building that isn’t very well known. But having someone other than my Media Services friends swing by my office wasn’t the only joy. My visitor brought with her a gift.

The person who visited me and brought me a gift today was April Betsch. This is the two of us at a social media meeting in December of 2014.

In a gesture of true thoughtfulness, April Betsch, our Associate Director of CHANT411*, presented me with something that every social media marketer should have. Handing me a box, I looked at the front to realize that she had gotten me a 13.5-inch tall HASHTAG LED sign. Not only did she purchase a perfect gift for someone like me, she also cared enough to stock it with batteries before handing it over. April had found the gem at Michael’s and immediately thought of Coastal’s goofy social media guy. Not only does the sign fit my personality and career choice like a glove, it also provides an aesthetic touch to the uninspired way I set up my office.

A look at my hashtag sign shining brightly in the dark.

April’s visit and gift did more than brighten my day, however. It got me thinking that I need to take her lead and do more nice things for others. I feel like I do a good job of showing my loved ones that I value and appreciate them but what about people outside of that circle? I surely would not live the life that I do if not for co-workers, service folks, students, and others. While I do try to go out of my way every now and then, it probably isn’t to the degree that April does it or the degree that countless other humanitarians do it.

Thanks for the great gift, April!

Some call it “random acts of kindness” and some call it “paying it forward,” but for me I can’t look at it that way. In my head, those terms are too strictly equated with one time deeds and Starbucks drive-thru gimmicks. I need to just do a better job of being kind and thoughtful 24 hours a day. I need to seize more opportunities and recognize more people.

I hope to take the inspiration I gained from April today and use it to be a more consistent and better person. As long as this means that I still don’t have to like Tom Brady I think I can do it. Don’t Blink.

* – CHANT411 is a very unique service at Coastal Carolina University staffed entirely on the ground level by students. The campus community can contact CHANT411 with a question through phone, text, e-mail, in-person visit, etc., and receive an answer promptly. In addition to providing information, the organization also undertakes numerous initiatives to make the campus a better place and to boost morale of the CCU family.