My son and I are having a contest. A good-deed contest.

I can't say with certainty who’s winning, but I believe Ray has the lead. No matter. It's the good deeds that really count.

For instance, a few weeks ago, Ray called to tell me he was driving home when he saw a person walking on the sidewalk fall. First, he drove by, assuming someone else would help. When he glanced and noticed no one was responding, he stopped, ran back and found an elderly gentleman on the ground. He helped him up and offered to take him home, but the man thanked him and said he could make it from there. He just needed someone to give him a hand to get back on his feet.

I had called Ray before that to tell him my latest good deed. I was coming home from a 5-mile run and in front of our house was a young woman trying to catch her dog off-leash. I went inside, got some dog treats and gave them to her. I told her to toss them on our front deck and when the dog goes for them, we’ll have it penned in. It worked. She grabbed the dog’s collar and off they went, happily headed home.

We have had other deeds.

He helped his neighbor by hauling things away for her.

I lent my leaf blower to my neighbor so he could clear his yard in the fall.

Ray installed my brother's new washing machine for him and he delivered groceries for me to my other brother near his home in Lacy, Wash. 

I helped my nephew load up his stuff when he moved into a new place last summer.

Ray is too humble to tell the tales about all his good deeds, but I remember a few more of mine.

I found a pacifier on the North Idaho Centennial Trail and recalled passing a mom pushing a toddler in a stroller earlier. I turned around, caught up with them and sure enough, it was the kid’s. The mom was happy and I jogged away like a hero.

Last time I was on Kauai, I was swimming when I saw a gal lose her sunglasses in deep water. I swarm over, dove down and brought them to her. She was happy and I felt pretty good about myself.

One of my better deeds was last winter, when I was running on the Centennial Trail near Tony’s on the Lake and passed an older woman with a shovel trying to chip a thick layer of ice off her driveway. Initially, I kept running. But after a half-mile, I thought I could do better. I turned back to see if I could help. She was stopping to take a break when I arrived.

“Would you like me to do that?” 

“Sure,” she said.

I took the shovel and blasted away at the ice and within minutes, cleared her driveway. She was delighted and once again, I jogged away, glad I had the brains to stop.

We have had more good deeds. I think Ray is in the lead. He’ll probably win this contest. He has a bigger heart than me and seems to see chances to step in better than I. 

The idea isn't to make ourselves feel better. It's to, in small ways, brighten the days of those who share this world with us, to perhaps make their day just a little bit better.

There are opportunities for good deeds all around. 

All we have to do is look.

• • •

Bill Buley is assistant managing editor of The Press.