i would consider myself a fairly emotional person. actually, let’s be honest, i cry at a hallmark commercial. so it should be no surprise to you that upon hearing this news story last week, i got a tad bit misty-eyed.

given its proximity to another news story that got a lot of coverage on friday, darnell barton’s act of heroism may have gotten lost in the shuffle. most stories like this one tend to do that, i think. but in an age when every other article in the newspaper or teaser for the 5 o’clock broadcast seems to reflect the worst of humanity, i wanted to take a moment to focus on the best (of humanity).

in another part of the interview (not shown above), darnell likens his act of heroism to football (sports metaphors get me every time).

“i feel like I did what I was supposed to do at the time,” he told WIVB-TV. “i’m a football guy so when you sit the bench and the coach calls your number, you got to go in there make a play… and i think that’s what i did.”

but perhaps my favorite portion of the entire new story is the closing line in the article linked above:

“things like this put what’s important in perspective,” he said. “you hug your kids a little tighter, kiss your wife a little bit longer. you’re grateful…

“things may not be perfect,” he said, “but as we say, they’re a little bit of all right.”

darnell is absolutely right, things are never going to be perfect. but they’re always a little bit of all right. even if the all right is hard to see or hold onto, it’s there. things are a little bit of all right.