Kindness Diaries (2017–2019): Season 1, Episode 1 - The Gift of Love - full transcript

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[Leon Logothetis] From a
distance, the world probably
seems

like a big, bad scary place.

If you listen to the news
or even ask the person next to
you,

they will likely talk about war,
poverty, corruption, and hate.

And, they are right,
from a distance.

But, I believe that up close,
there is enough good, enough
love,

and enough pure kindness
to make the world go round,

and that is what
inspired my journey.

A journey where random
acts of kindness are repaid

with unexpected and
life-changing gifts.

And, these are The
Kindness Diaries.



[Leon]
Hey. I'’m Leon.

I guess you could say
I have an adventurous heart.

But, you know what,
it really wasn'’t always that
way.

I used to be a broker.
Successful broker.

I felt depressed,
disconnected from life.

So, one day I just gave it all
up, and I went traveling.

Traveling around the world.

To be honest, I'’ve
never looked back.

Some of my adventures
have been a little bit sick.

-What is this, man? What'’s this?
No, this. -Uh...

-No, this.
-[man chuckles]

[man] I don't know
what you mean.

[Leon] All right, maybe a lot
more than a little bit sick.

But, they'’ve all been inspired
by my desire to connect with
people.



My past adventures have been
about me receiving kindness,

but one day I was walking down
Hollywood Boulevard

and I saw this homeless chap
with a sign that read,

"Kindness is the best medicine."

And, in that moment

I realized that my next
adventure had to be about giving
back.

So, what on earth am I doing?

Well, I know from
previous adventures

that these journeys can be very
difficult and very dangerous.

So, what have I done?

I'’ve made it even
harder for myself

because I will be
traveling with no money

and relying entirely on the
generosity of others for food,
shelter, and travel.

Now, I just have to do it.

Which leads me to this.

This beauty is my
1978 Chang Jiang,

which, by the way,
is about as old as I am,

and has to get me across the
25,000 miles of our blue
planet...

assuming, of course,
I can find enough people to give
me gas.

[vehicle squeaks]

Um, I hope that'’s not a sign.

[Leon] It wasn'’t just the
motorbike that had a rough
start.

The first few Angelinos I met

were less than optimistic
about my trip and my chances.

He'’s gonna need
money, not kindness.

This guy has no chance
of making it around the world.

You need some money, man.
It'’s America.

[Leon] But, luckily, I met
Dwight who gave me encouragement

and the first drop of gas
for my global adventure.

[Dwight] Altruism'’s
a basic thing.

Keep doing what you'’re doing,
man. Seriously, you guys, keep
doing this.

I hope some other people
pull something like this off as
well.

[Leon] And that'’s
how I got here,

150 miles outside of Los Angeles
on the bright yellow motorcycle

I'’ve come to
affectionately call Kindness 1,

and getting ready for the first
stop of this big adventure, Las
Vegas.

[Leon]
My joyride is about to come to
an end.

I have to find some food,
something to drink, and
somewhere to stay.

-Scotland! I'’m from Glasgow!
-Are ye?

Aye! I'm driving
across the world, man.

Are ye, well, can
you hold my flowers?

-Aye!
-Thanks very much.

-Please don't catch any flesh
guys, OK? -Don't worry.

Oh, my gosh.

-What'’s your name, man?
-Davey.

Bit of leg for you guys,
bit of leg for you, alright...

bit of leg you don'’t wanna see.

-Do you like my Scottish accent,
man? -It'’s actually quite good
to be

-honest with you, aye!
-Really?

-Why don'’t you come to Scotland,
mate? -I can't come to Scotland.

-Why not?
-Because Ewan McGregor doesn'’t
like me.

[Leon] And now I'’m in downtown
Las Vegas where I'’ve been told

a lot of the locals
come and hang out.

It'’s getting a bit late.
The sun doesn'’t have much life
left.

So, I'’m gonna whip around and
try and find someone to show me
some love.

-Can you feed me?
-Are you really asking me for
food?

Yeah.

[Leon] It'’s not every day that
you meet Gene Simmons in Las
Vegas.

[man] I do weddings and
different private functions
there.

You'’re a priest?

-I can marry people.
-Really?

Sure. I 'm actually
Reverend Las Vegas Gene Simmons.

Oh, my gosh. It gets
weirder and weirder.

-Can I live with you?
-Ha ha ha!

-Just tonight.
-Oh, just tonight?

Oh, sorry, I can't
help you with that.

I'’ve got-- I'm
married and children.

[Leon] So far, no luck.

If Elvis were here,
I bet he'’d give me a place to
stay.

Time is beginning to slip away,
and freezing to death in the
desert

isn'’t much fun.

I'’d better find something soon.

-That is quite a mustache. It's
real? -Absolutely.

-Can I touch it?
-No, you're not a girl.

What you up to, sir?

I'’m traveling around the world
relying entirely on the kindness
of strangers.

A wonderful thing.
Can I offer you some sunflower
seeds?

-You can.
-Absolutely, then.

Literally, this is the first
food I'’ve eaten all day.

I believe in the
kindness of strangers.

I Tweeted today:
"In the end, only kindness
matters."

Put kindness out,
it will come back to you.

-Let'’s give you a bit more,
here. -OK, give me a bit more.

-Ah.
-There you go.

[Leon] It seemed like fate
had led me to Maurice,

so I asked if I
could stay with him.

You are staying with us tonight.
Welcome! Our kindness to you.

-I would kiss you but I won'’t.
-Oh, no, you wouldn't!

-But, I would hug you.
-Good man!

Thank you, thank you.

[Leon] Maurice told me to
meet him at his house.

Things were looking good...

until they weren'’t.

[engine sputtering]

It'’s not working properly.

Try it in neutral.

[engine cranking, sputtering]

I'’ve got to reach Maurice's
house in a half an hour.

This is not happening on day
one. It is not happening!

[Leon] I suddenly realized
my very big problem

was actually caused
by a very little mistake.

I'’ve had a minor meltdown and
I'’ve realized that it was
entirely my fault

that the bike stopped working.

Basically, in order
for the bike to work,

the petcock needs to be at 6 p
.m. when the bike is moving,

and I left it at 9 p.m.,

which means that no fuel was
going into the engine.

[Leon] What a day!

I'’m a little late, but I'm here.

I can'’t wait to get some sleep.

And there'’s no one here.

Maurice!

The beauty of traveling blind.

You never know
what'’s gonna happen.

[Leon] If he doesn'’t
show up, I guess...

Kindness 1 will
be my bed tonight.

But, I have faith.

Leon! You got here!

All right!

[Leon] Maurice brought me inside
where I got to meet some of his
friends

and a whole family of animals.

[woman] This is our cat shelter.
Yeah, this is a no-cage, no-kill
shelter.

We don'’t kill anybody.

So I'’m going to
leave in one piece?

♪ When it'’s time to leave... ♪

[Leon] To all those naysayers
earlier today in Hollywood

who said that this was
impossible, take a look.

It'’s possible.

The kindness of humanity
is back with a vengeance.

And I cannot thank you
all enough, seriously.

Our pleasure. Our pleasure.

So, you pay some kindness
forward to someone else

and you can trust it'’ll stay
in your account when you need
it.

It'’ll be there for you.

[Leon] In the morning, as if
this chap hadn'’t done enough
already,

Maurice filled me and my bike up
with pancakes and petrol,

in that order, and
I was on my way.

As interesting as Vegas is,

I couldn'’t wait to leave
this desert mirage of a city

and search out a more
authentically American
experience.

Seeing them for myself,

I finally understood the words
of Katharine Lee Bates

when she wrote of the Rockies'’
"purple mountain majesties,"

for they are as breathtaking
as they are mammoth.

I'’ve made it to Colorado which
is, in itself, a bit of a
miracle.

That'’s the good news.
The bad news is that my mirror
broke.

My bike is falling apart and
I haven'’t even left America.

There'’s a motorcycle
shop outside of town.

Yeah?

Closed.

Highway 65...

Do you know how to fix mirrors?

What type of motorcycle
is this, did you say?

It'’s a Chang Jiang.

-Chang Jiang.
-Yeah.

[Leon] And, with that, I was off
to try and find yet another
mechanic.

-I'm Leon.
-Bulldog.

Bulldog? That's a cool name.

I have a small bike problem.
This is the thing that fell off.

Probably gonna take me a couple
days to order one in like that.

I don'’t have a couple of days.

I have to get to New York in
order to get onto a ship to go
to Barcelona.

[Bulldog] Well, you'’re screwed.

[Leon laughing]

Is there any way that I can
maybe stay in your house
tonight?

Tonight'’s a bad night.

But I'’m sure Chamber of Commerce
here in town probably

could find you a
place or help you out.

[Leon] There don'’t seem to be
too many people on the streets,

which is a little concerning,
'‘cause I need to connect with
someone.

Ladies, are you locals?

[women] Sort of.

Can I stay in your
house tonight?

No.

Okay.

Can I stay in your
house tonight?

If you can drive up to Laramie,
Wyoming, which is 5 1/2 hours
away.

[chuckles]

[Leon] I explained
my trip around earth

to the ladies of the Chamber of
Commerce, and Cammie went
through her contact list,

trying to find someone who might
be willing to give me a place to
sleep.

For tonight, and would you and
Chery be interested in doing
that for us?

Hello? Hello,
Willy, how are you?

As you can see I'’m not
from Colorado, I'’m from England.

[Scottish accent]
You'’re Scottish!

A'’right, a'right,
man. I speak Scottish!

I randomly stopped in this town

and I "cannae" believe that
I found someone Scottish.

Can I stop speaking Scottish
now? Just a place to sleep
tonight.

Oh, my-- I am so happy
that we'’re both Scottish!

And, so, I need to hug you.

What you'’ve done, ah,
you'’ve made Scotland proud.

Thank you so much.
You have made Scotland proud.

All of you have made Scotland
proud. You have made Scotland
proud.

[woman] OK.

-I think I'’m Scottish, man.
-You think?

I-- I think, in a previous life,
man. I think I was William
Wallace, man.

-No. Wallace was 7 feet tall.
-Aye.

No, man. That'’s
what they say, man.

Long hair as well. He wasn'’t
bald [chuckles]

[Leon] I also discovered, to my
great delight, that I wasn'’t the
first Brit

this proud Scotsman
took a liking to.

So you'’ve got English
children, man.

Well, we'’ve all got
crosses to bear.

-Where did you grow up?
-I grew up in a mining family.

My granddad was 58
years in a coal mine.

Fifty-eight years.

And my dad was 48
and I managed 11.

Why the kindness, man?
You don'’t even know me.

Well, you know, I guess that'’s
probably the way I was raised.

My mother raised us to have
faith in God, to be honest with
you.

I admire people who really
do live their life by faith.

I'’m too much up here.

Been there, done that.

So how did you get
from here to here?

Well, I'’ll tell you
what actually happened.

It was in Sheffield, 1984,
and I went to see Billy Graham.

-[Leon] The famous pastor.
-Great preacher, yeah, exactly.

Anyway, we were there and I was
just sitting with everybody
else.

He said, "There'’s people in here
that need to come forward and
accept Christ."

And I'’m just like,
yeah, whatever.

So I decided to get up and I got
up and that chair was literally
stuck to me.

For about 20 minutes I seen a
bunch, thousands of people
getting up,

and I thought, you know what,
maybe this guy makes sense.

And my pastor was sitting beside
me then he said, "You need to
go."

I said, "Yeah, but I can'’t get
up." He said, "Just get up and
go."

And, I go up and went
forward and that was it.

I was going forward
to give my life to Christ

and the one that'’s against
Christ tried to stop me from
getting off the seat.

And, I got up and went
forward and that was it.

Since then,
myself and my wife are both
involved

with handicapped
and disabled people.

That'’s why we help the elderly
people. The homeless.

Suicide prevention.

My wife lost her son
to suicide, so...

So, yeah,
faith is a great thing. I
believe.

I have goose bumps
from that story.

How are you?

[Leon] When Willy'’s wife, Chery,
came home, we spent the
afternoon

looking at family photos

and I learned the wonderful
story of how they met and fell
in love

while helping out at
a retirement home.

And then they shared what
would'’ve been some very good
news

under different circumstances.

-Son is getting married.
-[Leon] And, what'’s his name?

-Lee.
-Lee.

-And that'’s his fiancée,
Charlene. -[Leon] And, they'’re
all in Scotland now?

Of course, he'’s getting
married in July,

In one of the most expensive
times in the year as well, so...

-The tickets, they'’re so
expensive. -Yeah.

It'’d be nice to go there,
but it'’s impossible because...

[Chery] Because financially
it wasn'’t possible.

[Willy] It wasn'’t-- well,
she'’s-- Chery's had a lot of
medical bills.

Some major ones, you know.

I had a couple.

I'’m waiting for Willy and Chery.
We'’re about to go to Kay's
house.

It'’s one of her friends
who'’s 96 years old.

They want to surprise her
with a birthday gift.

Um, you know, five
minutes earlier,

they'’re crying,
they'’ve got tears in their eyes.

They can'’t go to
Willy'’s son's wedding

because they'’ve got
all these financial problems,

yet they stand up and
spend their time helping people.

It'’s-- it's truly astonishing.

It'’s lovely how you guys met
in an old people'’s home

and you continue giving back
in the same way.

[Cheryl] I'’ve always
loved elderly people.

Hello, Kay. I'm Leon.
Nice to meet you.

It's nice to meet you, too.

[Leon] I could see on Kay'’s face
how their kindness filled her
with happiness.

-Kay, can I ask you a question?
-Surely.

Tell me, how does
Willy help your life?

He looks after me and

kind of cheers me up.

I feel like I'’m

part of the human race.

You know, and not an old

piece of baggage.

I might be taking a
trip to California.

Do you surf?

I gave that up a long time ago.

[laughter]

[Kay] My desire is to
see the ocean again.

-When was the last time you saw
the ocean? -About 25 years.

Twenty-five years.
We'’re gonna change that now.

[Kay] OK.

Look at that.

[Leon] It's a live picture.

[Kay] Is it a live one now?

That'’s the best place.

It'’s so peaceful.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's wonderful.

I appreciate that.

[Leon] Part of me envied Kay.

Here she was, over twice my age,

only breathing with the help
of an oxygen tank,

and yet she was still filled
with hope, desire, and life.

She didn'’t even realize
the lesson she was teaching me.

There is always time for hope.

Can I be cheeky and give you a
kiss on the cheek goodbye?

Oh, absolutely.

[Kay chuckles]

-I can turn the other cheek,
too. -OK.

[laughter]

[Leon] You can really see how
his faith impacts his actions.

That'’s rare.

[Leon] Willy and Chery'’s
kindness towards Kay and their
world at large

was exactly what
I needed to see.

Human beings can literally
manufacture hope through acts,

even the simplest
acts of kindness.

Well, first of all, I want to
thank you both for an amazing
act of kindness,

you know, letting me
stay in your house.

And, for me, it'’s not just about
the kindness that you've showed,

it'’s the embodiment of kindness.

When I set out on doing
this trip around the world,

everyone believes that it is me
relying on the kindness of
others,

which, to a certain
degree, it is.

However, there are these rare
people that I hope to find along
the way

whereby we would like
to give something back,

and you guys have given of
yourselves, and now I'm hopeful

that you can receive the
kindness that we want to give to
you.

I want to pay for you both to go
to England for your son'’s
wedding.

-You'’re joking.
-[Leon] I am absolutely not
joking.

Don'’t know what to say.

Made me speechless.

The first time a
Scotsman'’s been speechless.

[laughter]

Certainly didn'’t expect
anything from you.

Well, we'’ve opened our home up
to people before, in the past,

and, you know,
just out of the kindness of
heart,

because, you know,
it'’s what we believe in.

If this is the case,
that'’s an answer to prayer.

And that'’s where faith comes in.

[Leon] I feel like
giving you a hug.

So do I, buddy. Wow!

You'’re kidding me.

The last Englishman I hugged was
my son. [chuckles]

-Thank you so much.
-My pleasure.

This has been, like, one of the
most amazing days of my life.

[Leon] The world
is such a big place

and it'’s amazing how much I've
already experienced just from L
.A. to Colorado.

There is weeks and weeks
and weeks ahead of me,

and if the past few days
are anything to go by,

this is going to be the
adventure of a lifetime.