There's not a young boy on the planet who didn't go through at least a brief phase of being fascinated by large trucks, especially garbage trucks. There are many wonderful reasons why little kids are fascinated, and at the same time, perhaps a little scared of garbage trucks. They have bright colors, flashing lights, and have massive moving parts that shriek and moan as they lift the garbage bins and throw them in the back of the truck. They are also impressed by the operator who pulls the levers and makes the massive machine lift and dump.They also instinctively recognized that the sanitation worker is doing an important and admirable job. They haven't yet been conditioned to look down on dirty, thankless work and can appreciate it for how vital it truly is. Little kids have this fascination until they are around five or six, until one day when the garbage man comes by they no longer feel the need to run out and watch.However, a touching story out of Florida shows that nine-year-old Noah Carrigan never lost his love for the garbage man, and that’s because they forged a sweet relationship.But unfortunately, after the city changed its waste management contracts, the garbage collector was informed he would no longer stop by Noah’s house. Kids are able to recognize garbage workers as the heroes they are. Photo by Shihab Chowdhury on Unsplash “It started out as something so simple—he was just fascinated by the garbage truck,” Noah’s mom, Catherine Carrigan, told SWNS.“For years, every Tuesday, he would run outside to wave, and the garbage man always waved back, honked the horn, and acknowledged him.”She filmed the garbage man’s last pickup at his house, and it marked the end of an era.On the garbage man’s final visit, Noah handed him a bottle of water, a handwritten note, and some gifts to express his gratitude and appreciation for the kindness and years of friendship. "He wanted to write him a thank you note with garbage truck toys he used to play with," the mother wrote on a social media post. “This farewell hit hard,” she admitted.Noah isn't the only kid who has bonded with his community sanitation worker. A 4-year-old named Johnny Tsacoumangos went viral a few years ago for his wholesome friendship with the garbage man. The special bond between kids and their sanitation heroes is worldwide: - YouTube www.youtube.com Here's the beautiful moment captured by Noah's mom, along with clips of the two interacting over the course of years. It's nearly impossible not to tear up while watching it, not only because of the loving friendship, but because of the quick passage of time.The entire friendship goes by in just the blink of an eye, along with a chunk of Noah's childhood. @holisticspark For years my son has been waving to the same garbage man every week. ?? Today, he says goodbye as his favorite garbage man retires. ? Thank you for your years of kindness! ??♥️ #garbagemanhero #garbageman #wholesomemoments #kindnessmatters #communitylove #heartwarming #goodbyefriend Parents need to take a moment to realize that they are in the midst of something beautiful that is fleeting, as Noah's mother did. So, when there are those nights when you're tired and don’t feel like reading them a book before bed, or getting off the couch to play catch, knowing you only have so many of these moments is a great way to enjoy them. Because one day, when they’re gone, you’ll wish you could have read one more book or spent that nice spring day on the lawn throwing a ball around.That’s why the story about young Noah and the garbage man is wonderful. On one level, it's a touching story about the friendship between a man and a young boy, highlighting the importance of the people who work in our communities. On the other hand, it’s a reminder that some of these simple joys in life we share with children will one day end—and you can’t turn back the clock.This article originally appeared last April. It has been updated

School lunch in the United States has a complicated history. While many of us who grew up in the '80s or '90s are nostalgic for some of the menu items we remember fondly (rectangle pizza, anyone?), some of the serving choices were bizarre. We really grew up with someone handing us a tray of pizza, French fries, chocolate milk, and soggy green beans every morning at 10:30am.The offerings have improved somewhat over the years, but everything's still pretty...beige. The main choices are typically pizza, chicken nuggets, or some form of questionable ground beef like burgers or meatloaf. Some people are stunned when they find out that school lunches from around the world can look very different.Last year, a photo of lunch served at a school in South Korea went viral and had everyone's mouths watering. from pics A user on Reddit posted the photos to r/pics where they immediately racked up over 17,000 upvotes.The colors on the tray stick out immediately, most notably the noodles covered in creamy red sauce. But it's really the stuffed lobster tail that's the star of this particular tray; potentially lobster thermidor.You expect to see some cultural differences in the food offerings in different countries. Korean food is inherently different than American food in a number of ways, but love for lobster is real in both countries. Yet, can you imagine American schools serving lobster tail to kids under any circumstances? Can't quite imagine this on the average American school lunch tray.Canva PhotosThe response from mostly-American users was fascinating. Some were in awe while others rightly pointed out why a lunch like this would never fly in the USA.One of the main sentiments was that school lunches in other countries often put ours to utter shame:"I used to teach in Korea and the lunches were always amazing, the beef and quails egg stew was a constant highlight.""I studied in Korea for 6 months on uni exchange. The food at the uni cafeteria looked just like this, and was 10/10. My private room at the uni lodge was $500USD for the WHOLE semester, and included unlimited food.""I live in Spain and my kid's school invited the parents to taste lunch one day. It was fantastic. Also, at the end of each month they share a calendar of the meals that will be served during the next one, day by day. They're all balanced, and prepared with proximity food. They prepare specific meals for every kid with allergies/intolerances/any kind of dietary restriction, e.g. restrictions related to religion. They also share a list of dinner suggestions - again, for the whole month - so you have ideas for dinners that are healthy, easy, cheap, and tasty for kids. It's a public school.""I am from a third world country where many public schools lack a ton of funding and even we have better more healthy lunches than the slop that’s given to US students. I know because I went to school in the US and also in my home country.""America hates its f*cking kids. It will always mistreat them and deny them opportunities.""Lobster as a school lunch??? I need to go back to elementary school... I'll quit work for education and a lunch like that!" A typical American school lunch.Canva PhotosOthers, while impressed with the selection, had their doubts about if American schools could ever adopt something like this:"This lunch is orders of magnitude better then US school lunches. And most American kids would utterly hate it.""American kids have no palette! It’s all chicken nuggets and mac & cheese! ... I know some kids that would starve rather than try anything on that tray."Some pointed out that those metal chopsticks would likely be used as a weapon almost immediately, and discontinued ASAP.Americans, as a whole, have a dreadful diet devoid of enough nutrition and it causes catastrophic health problems in the long-term. For clues as to why, you can look at what we feed our kids—and why.No, most American kids probably wouldn't like lobster tail, but there is a lot that goes into how our palette develops that might help explain it. Kids eating lunch.Canva PhotosFor starters, fresh produce and lean proteins are extremely expensive in America, and prices are still rising. It's far more cost-effective to pump people full of cheap, empty calories and sugar. School lunch used to be cooked fresh every day in the schools before major government budget cuts forced districts to more heavily on lean on frozen or reheated options. Kids get used to chicken nuggets all day every day from a young age!The irony is that school lunches in America, while not overly exciting, at least meet some basic nutritional guidelines. But they're not free for everyone, and even kids who qualify for free or reduced lunch may not end up participating due to stigma, red-tape, or food preferences. When parents on a shoestring budget have to buy their own lunch supplies, things can get a lot worse than meatloaf and green beans. We all knew a few kids in school who had Pop Tarts for lunch every day. To be fair, we were all jealous at the time. - YouTube youtu.be And finally, Americans sure love to get fired up about our "right" to eat like crap. When Michelle Obama tried to clean up the school lunch program, she ran into massive pushback. RFK Jr. wants to do his own version of it, and we'll see how that goes.The viral photo from South Korea shows what might be possible with a few key cultural and political shifts. Treating feeding our kids more like "preventive medicine" versus a cost to manage would definitely be a start.This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

No matter where you are, even when your life feels like it's falling apart, other people's lives are still going on as normal. Unfortunately, the world doesn't stop because tragedy strikes someone's family, but recently, on a United Airlines flight, one woman had a pretty close equivalent. Hailey Ann Sand recently took an unexpected trip after finding out her grandfather was being placed on comfort care as he was nearing the end of his life.Sand knew she wanted to be there for his final moments, so she booked a last-minute flight and headed out. What was supposed to be a smooth trip wound up being stress-inducing due to the flight landing behind schedule. The airline was aware that some passengers had connecting flights taking off in a few minutes, so they made the announcement asking for passengers to extend courtesy to those with tight connections.One kind act changed everything.Sand was one of those with an extremely tight connection when the flight landed in Denver, but as airline passengers often do, many stood up, not allowing others to get off the plane first. It was then that the grieving granddaughter was reminded that there are still good people in the world. A man standing up inside a planePhoto credit: CanvaThe woman shared in a video that she was in seat 31A when another woman, whom she didn't know in seat 31B, noticed the urgency on Sand's face. This prompted the woman to inquire if something was wrong. After Sand explained that she was in a hurry to catch her next flight so she could be there with her grandfather in his last moments, the stranger sprang into action. @haileyannsand @United Airlines ♬ original sound - Hailey Ann Sand's connecting flight was scheduled to depart in 25 minutes but the aisle was completely blocked. That is, until her seatmate got everyone to clear it."You didn't owe me anything but you stepped out in the aisle and you announced very loudly to everybody to please step aside so that I can get off the plane in a timely manner," Sand said, hoping her words reach the woman who helped her. "We landed 25 minutes before my next flight was supposed to depart, and it was a 22-minute walk across the Denver airport. We flew into gate 73ish, and I was flying out of 12. I had to walk all the way across. I just want you to know that I made that flight and I got to be there last night. And I got to tell my grandfather how much I loved him and he got to tell me back and he understood what I was saying."The grieving granddaughter was able to be there along with the rest of her family until her grandfather passed. She continued the video with an emotional thank you to the stranger, saying that her act of kindness changed her life, hoping the video would reach the kind stranger. While the video didn't reach her, the video did reach United Airlines, causing several flight attendants and crew to reach out to Sand. Through some detective work, they connected her with a relative who connected her with the stranger, Katie.Turns out Katie wasn't just an average passenger, she's a hospice nurse who deeply understands a family's need to be together during someone's final hours. A hospice nurse with her female patient. Photo credit: CanvaSand told Upworthy it took less than 24 hours to track Katie down and get in touch with her. While the flight they shared was from San Antonio to Denver, Katie just happened to be traveling from work and isn't from either city, and Sand lives in San Antonio but is from Washington. The chance seating assignment seemed meant to be.Once Sand reached her family, she left her chance encounter with a hospice nurse to feel the warmth and comfort of the hospice nurses at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, Washington. "They did an excellent job for my grandfather in his final moment,s but also my whole family in helping us through a difficult time."Sand shared that her grandfather was "a husband of 62 years, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a brother, a friend, a mentor. He served in the Army and worked his whole life as a farmer. He was the most hardworking man. He loved to travel and has been all over the world. He was very involved in his community, and the world would be better with more people like him in it."While the woman hoped the video would reach the passenger who helped her on the plane, she likely didn't expect it to reach over 9 million other people. But since it did, she hopes people leave her video with a message of kindness. @haileyannsand @United Airlines ♬ original sound - Hailey Ann "I hope this story continues to resonate with people and inspire them to love each other more, and think twice when the flight crew asks you to stay seated so that people who have a tight connection can get off the plane. You never know why someone is traveling and it’s not always for a happy reason."This article originally appeared last year.

Don't roll your eyes: TikTok's latest viral wisdom is backed by hard data—and it's making people rethink their communication habits. We live in a world of chronic oversharing. We post everything, from the routes we run (including screenshots as proof of all that hard work), to the pale-green iced matcha latte sitting at our desks or a present from a boyfriend (who will be tagged prominently, not secretly off screen). Who knows when, but our brains became wired for sharing: to record, to curate, and to post every second of our lives, then consume that of others to a disturbing degree.So, here's a radical idea: when it comes to goals and plans, try keeping them to yourself. It could be the key to making them a reality.Why you should move in silenceThat's the message behind TikTok's massively popular "Move in Silence" trend, where creators like @noemoneyyy have cracked the contradictory code to success: Instead of broadcasting every big idea or project that runs through your head, if you actually want it to come to fruition, keep your plans to yourself until they're executed. And it's not just a trend; surprisingly, science also supports this muted approach. @noellemartiinez Work in private and let the results speak! #privatelife #privatelifehappylife #workinprivate #creatorsearchinsights "As a former oversharer who used to tell every single friend, every single family member, or a partner everything I was doing, I promise you things always work out better when you keep them to yourself," explains creator @noemoneyyy in a video that's garnered millions of views.On a different video by @mandanazarfhami, she says, “I don’t care what you’ve got going on in your life: that dream job, that city that you want to move to, that dream person, that dream life, that dream anything. Literally keep it to yourself until it’s done.”Commentors were quick to agree, with one person writing: “From a young age, I never told anyone my next steps. I also taught my husband and son to keep our private matters to themselves and just do things ?Not many people like it, but who cares?????”Another chimed in, “This concept has changed my life for the better.” Others replied, “100 agree ?” and “100%??people can’t ruin what is silent, show results.”Lil Wayne, famously, agreed when he wrote "Real G's move in silence like lasagna." @mandanazarghami monitoring spirits are a real thing - move in silence and watch how much your life changes #fypシ The science to moving in silenceIn a study done by New York University, researchers found that people who kept their goals private worked on tasks for an average of 45 minutes, compared to the 33 minutes of work completed by those who announced their plans in advance. The twist? The people who shared their goals expressed feeling closer to finishing, despite doing approximately 25% less work.NYU psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, who led the research, concluded that "once you've told other people your intentions, it gives you a 'premature sense of completeness.'" He also found that the brain is made up of "identity symbols," which create one's self-image. Interestingly, both action and talking about action create symbols in your brain, so simply speaking about a future plan or something you want to do satisfies that part of your brain. When we make our goals public, especially ones that matter to us and deal with our identity, our ability to achieve said goal is significantly reduced. As the old adage goes, "actions speak louder than words."Stranger still, in his paper "Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap," Gollwitzer notes that for this phenomenon to happen, one must truly care about their goals. "Ironically, this effect was only found for participants who are very committed to their goal!" PsychologyToday notes. "The lesson learned is that the more passionate you are about your goals, the more secretive you should be about them." A woman telling you to be quiet.via Canva/PhotosAnother reason to keep quiet: If you're a beginner trying something new, sharing your plans could potentially open you up to criticism and negative feedback, which could deter you from even starting. At the University of Chicago, professor Ayelet Fishbach conducted studies to determine how positive and negative feedback affects the pursuit of one's goal. According to Atlassian, she and her team found:When positive feedback signals commitment to a goal, it increases motivation.When positive feedback signals progress, it actually decreases motivation."One example the researchers give is a math student who gets a good grade on a test. If she perceives it to mean she likes math, she will study harder. If, however, she sees the high score as a sign she is making progress in the class, she may ease up and study less," they write.We've all been there: excitedly telling everyone about your grand plans to backpack through Europe, the year you'll finally learn Spanish, or joining the group lesson at the tennis courts you always pass by… only to mysteriously lose all motivation a week later. Turns out, those lovely dopamine bursts that accompany every enthusiastic "That sounds great!" or "You should totally do it!" response might be precisely what's holding you back.You can tell a few peopleThe good news? You don't need to become closed-off and secretive, a hermit on the top of a mountain who's afraid to share any part of themselves with the world. Research suggests that sharing your goals with one or two selected friends who can be trusted to provide meaningful support is still a good idea. Just hold off on the Instagram Live announcement until you've actually accomplished something substantial. The key is to share them with friends who support your goals and aren't secretly harboring resentment toward you, because it can negative feedback can seriously hinder your plans. "Furthermore, your emotional responses to the feedback you get about your goal progress affect how you behave in the future. The really oversimplified version suggests that positive feedback is motivating, and negative feedback is demotivating," Elliot T. Berkman writes at Psychology Today. A woman telling you to be quiet.via Canva/PhotosSo, the next time you sit down to write your goals, whether they be a new year's resolution, the day's to-do list, or a five-year plan, think twice about sharing it with others. Give it time and you might have something better to share soon: the results.Nolwazi Sangweni writes for The Orange Journal: "Moving in silence is staying lowkey and only popping out when the main questions you’ll be asked will start with ‘since when…?’"This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

The heartwarming ceremony begins when the garage door opens and a class of teenage students present a newly-refurbished car with a big red bow to a single mother. For eight years, the presentation, delivered with a round of applause, has been repeated 4-5 times each year at Louisa County High School in Mineral, Virginia. The […] The post High School Students Repair Cars and Give Them to Single Moms: ‘You’re Really Making a Change in the World’ appeared first on Good News Network.