Lawrence Ripple entered the bank and gave the teller a note that said, “I have a gun, give me money.” Ripple didn’t have a gun, and strangely, he didn’t actually want the money. After the teller handed over $3,000 in cash, Ripple sat down in the lobby and waited for the cops to come. This didn’t take long since Ripple chose a bank with a police station on the same block.
Connection Increases Longevity
According to one survey, a whopping 80% of millennials say that one of their greatest desires is to have a lot of money. And 50% want to be famous. Are they on to something or is this desire misguided? According to a Harvard University study on human health and happiness, they are way off base.
Opposites Attract
Ryan Said fell in love at first sight with a beautiful woman named Jasmine Merino. But this was not your run of the mill love story. Ryan was born a female and Jasmine was born a male. Said and Merino met on Instagram, and their connection was instant. When they first met, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her! While both were transgender, their experiences had been polar opposites. One transitioned to life as a woman, and the other transitioned as a man. Despite this difference, there was one big similarity. They each understood the difficulties that the other had been through. And when the going got tough, they were able to support each other. In fact, Merino says their relationship is perfect because they both know what it’s like to be male and female. It helps them to understand each other.
Animal Human Healing
Almost everyone who has owned a pet knows the experience of bonding with an animal. For many pet owners, these animals become our friends and family members. According to research over the last few decades, these animal human relationships can improve our health. Since the 1980s, we have known that having a connection with an animal reduces blood pressure. Contact with animals has also been shown to reduce stress hormones, which allows our bodies to heal faster. Animals are also believed to increase oxytocin, which is a hormone related to feelings of love and trust. This may be the reason that animals aren’t just good for our physical health, but also good for our mental and emotional health.
Image adapted from: Greg Westfall, License: (CC BY 2.0)