As San Francisco gears up for a weekend-long celebration of the Grateful Dead, one group brought flower power revival to Market Street on Thursday.
Dozens of people, laden with good vibes, descended on the thoroughfare for a so-called Kindness Crawl — a spontaneous celebration of joy, marked by random acts of kindness to strangers.
The group walked around four miles, from the Ferry Building to Golden Gate Park, handing out free flowers, art and hugs. The result: a trail of smiles.
“It makes me feel happy. I love seeing stuff like this,” said Akira Green of Hayward, who was visiting the city with friends. “It’s really great that people are doing this just because they want to.”
The people behind the effort are enrolled in Self Mastery Trilogy, a Healdsburg-based personal development program that requires a “Make a Difference” project.
This led to the Kindness Crawl, which the group first tested earlier this year at the farmers market in Healdsburg.
“We decided that something small, like spreading kindness, was actually the thing that could have the biggest impact and make the most ripples in the world,” said Kali de Voogd, a participant in the program.
As the group continued its crawl, some people ignored them or brushed away the free flowers. But even folks reluctant to deal with strangers — like Derek Stone, on his lunch break at Union Square — accepted the offer.
“ I’m gonna carry on this energy,” said Stone, who said he often has his guard up. “I’m gonna try to give someone else a compliment. I might even give this flower to someone. So it’s gonna go full circle.”
Participants believe even a small gesture, such as hugging a stranger, can make a positive impact.
“ It feels warm. It feels connecting. It feels loving to me,” said Drea La Rox, another participant. “It feels like I am a part of their life just for a second.”
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