FRESH TRENDS
THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF
CADILLAC NEWS -- MARCH 15, 2025
In this season of renewal, being in the know about fresh trends can be enjoyable. With this knowledge in hand, you can engage your friends and family with entertaining conversation topics.
For instance, a yearly trend is happening right now. If you listen closely, you'll notice that birds are beginning to migrate north. “The movements are massive. On a big night in the spring, you're talking 450 to 500 million birds flying under cover of darkness. In the contiguous United States, peak spring bird migration runs approximately between March 1 and June 15.”
Thanks to that internet thingy, we can track when the birds will arrive in our neck of the woods. Go to https://birdcast.info to see this. “Bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration three hours after local sunset and are updated every six hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts.”
While you're waiting for the birds to arrive, you may want to relax by reading a book. Luckily, a trend can help with this. “From a distance, they seem like cute mailboxes. But take a closer look, and you’ll find that these colorful streetside boxes, perched on wooden poles, offer much richer reading material. Each Little Free Library houses a diverse array of free books that are ripe for the taking 24/7, so readers of all ages and backgrounds can find a book that they personally connect with.”
We have one of these in our Cadillac neighborhood, but it's cool to know it's part of a vast network, “The global organization behind these literary treasure troves just passed a major milestone: unveiling its 200,000th box. As Little Free Library has grown, its mission has stayed on course: to foster community and expand book access for everyone.” (https://nicenews.com/humanity/little-free-library-launches-200000th-box/)
These little libraries offer a kind respite from our hectic lives. This fits with another trend. An organization, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, seeks to to make kindness the norm. They invite everyone to be a RAKivist. “These are the people who turn ordinary days into something special with small, thoughtful gestures — like a sincere smile. These acts of kindness reconnect us with our humanity, reminding us of the love in the world and inspiring us to pay it forward.” (https://ad.nicenews.com/posts/are-you-a-raktivist)
It turns out that being kind can pay off. “Helping others is a lovely enough motive in itself, but there’s even more incentive to hop on the train: Research shows that doing so can benefit your health. Acts of kindness may improve life satisfaction and reduce anxiety and depression.” More kindness resources at: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/become-a-raktivist.
This kindness trend dovetails nicely with an article on FastCompany.com. The headline notes: “Why kindness is the key to high performance at work.” The article then explains: “Kindness, empathy, and psychological safety at work are not just fluffy, hippie ideas. They are key drivers of outstanding performance. Kindness is a practice that requires strength, skill, and intentionality. With it, every team can create an environment of abundant wellbeing, innovation, and growth.”
The article lays out five items for consideration. One key concept deals with implementation. “Kindness isn’t something you are, it’s something you do. You are as kind as your last kind act or as unkind as your last unkind act. When we see kindness as a verb, not a noun, we recognize the importance of seeing kindness as a practice.” More at: https://www.fastcompany.com/91281287/kindness-high-performance-at-work.
Finally, a trend that happens every spring is the traditional spring cleaning. The key here is to determine what you want to keep and what needs to be trashed or recycled. “Professional organizers are no strangers to working with clients who are resistant to throw items away. It can make all of the difference in making your home feel more functional and curated in the long run.” SouthernLiving.com suggests there are (at least) eight things you won't regret throwing away. (https://www.southernliving.com/things-you-wont-regret-throwing-away-11688411)
Old appliance manuals, food storage containers without lids, and expired beauty products are on the list. One category applies to the tangled mess that many of us have in a drawer or box – unused cords and chargers. “The 'just in case' moment isn't worth keeping the clutter for. If you repurchase something down the line, it will likely come with a charging cord anyway. If you don’t know what they belong to, you’re probably never going to need them, and clearing them out makes finding the right ones so much easier."
With this advice in mind, I guess I can recycle the Zip Drive I still have from twenty-five years ago. Still, you never know...
Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.
