'The Kindness Diaries' creator speaks in Cape Girardeau

One man dissatisfied with his life took off for a trip around the world with nothing but his yellow motorbike and a determination to rely on the kindness of strangers.

No money, no gas, no food, no lodging — and from this, Leon Logothetis gathered enough stories of strangers’ willingness to provide what he asked for to write a book and create a Netflix series, both titled “The Kindness Diaries.”

More than 1,000 students from Cape Girardeau schools heard Logothetis speak Wednesday, twice at Central Middle School, and twice again at St. Vincent de Paul Parish School.

He’s been on the road speaking since Aug. 20, Logothetis said, and he’s given at least 40 talks since then, “but it’s hard to remember.”

“I was bullied as a kid and felt very, very alone,” Logothetis said before his speaking engagement, his soft British accent evident.

He worked as a broker in London, “following someone else’s path,” Logothetis said, and realized how miserable he was right around the time he watched the movie “The Motorcycle Diaries,” what Logothetis called a “romanticized” take on Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara’s trip he took traveling on kindness.

As to why he’s on the speaking tour, “I wanted to give back,” Logothetis said. “Wanted to inspire kids.”

At the 10 a.m. session, Logothetis told the gathered students from Franklin and Alma Schrader elementary schools, “I’m here today to talk to you about kindness.”

He brought several students up from the audience, asking each a question. Those questions ranged from “What does it feel like when someone is kind to you?” to “Who’s ever felt alone?’

“One day I was eating lunch by myself, and a kid just like you came up to me and said, ‘Would you like to eat lunch with me and my friends?’ I said ‘yes,’ and I felt happy I wasn’t alone anymore,” Logothetis said.

Logothetis didn’t just receive kindness on his travels. He also tried wherever he could to give back — when a homeless man shared what little lodging, food and safety he could, Logothetis made arrangements to help him enroll in a certificate course to help get his life back on track, for example.

“Kindness is free,” Logothetis said.

He encouraged students to be the change they want to see in the world, quoting Mahatma Gandhi.

Chantelle Becking, whose daughter started at Central Middle School in August, said they watched “The Kindness Diaries” together this summer, and was inspired to reach out to Logothetis and ask him to come speak in Cape Girardeau.

“It’s so moving to see someone take a risk like that,” she said.

They’d watched the entire series within two or three days, Becking said.

“We actively as a family try to build a mentality of kindness, of treating everyone equally,” Becking said of her family, which includes herself, her husband and five children.

The show was so moving, Becking said, she reached out to Logothetis to let him know how much his journey had meant to her and her family.

He then sent a copy of his book to each of the five Becking children, she said.

When her daughter started middle school, Becking said, three of her teachers came by for home visits to get to know the families behind the students.

Becking said she encouraged the teachers to read the book and watch the show, and not long after that, she learned of Logothetis’ upcoming tour.

It took some negotiations, she said, but once the visit was approved, fundraising was done until they were able to bring Logothetis to Cape Girardeau.

“It was phenomenal,” Becking said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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