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Actor Jake Johnson Recalls His Moms Crazy Gut Feeling That Saved His Life
Uplifting News

Actor Jake Johnson Recalls His Moms Crazy Gut Feeling That Saved His Life

You may know actor Jake Johnson, 45, as the lovable Nick Miller from popular sitcom New Girl. But before he landed the career defining role alongside Zooey Deschanel, Johnson proved he'd been lucky long before that.Recently the Spiderman star sat down for a casual catch up on the Dope as Usual podcast; about an hour into the show, the conversation got deep — quickly.Jake Johnson and host Thomas "Yola" Araujo, 34, were discussing the idea of the afterlife — and whether or not it exists. The story Johnson humbly referred to as a "tangent" quickly grabbed people's attention. And it's nothing short of a miracle."I don't tell this story a lot. Because I don't get it."Jake Johnson, "Dope As Usual"While Johnson affirmed he is not tied to one specific belief like reincarnation but he definitely believes in "weirdness" — and he believes without a doubt his mother is "connected to something."And whatever that "something" is, it saved his life.His Mother Had a “Gut Feeling” She Couldn’t ExplainJake Johnson/Instagram Jake Johnson was raised by his single mother Eve Johnson and with what some are calling her "connection to the other side," it's clear Eve didn't need a man in order to protect her children.Johnson was in the 4th Grade when the bizarre incident took place. It was just a regular day when his mother was taken over by a strong premonition."Out of nowhere my mother turns to me and goes: 'You're not going to school tomorrow.'"Jake Johnson, "Dope as Usual"His mother's statement was so out of the blue, it completely baffled Johnson. He shared that growing up there was no question about his mother's authority. "When she said something — just how it went down."You would think a day off school would be every kid's dream, but the 10-year-old Johnson was disappointed for a surprising reason.He Begged His Mother to Change Her MindThe next day, Jake Johnson's school had a special field trip planned.His whole grade was going to go to 'little Vietnam' in the city. Growing up in "the burbs," he had been looking forward to it for sometime.Johnson humorously quipped about how exciting field trips are at that age: "it's just all eating candy and f*****g around and I really wanted to do it."The 10-year-old Johnson pleaded with his mother. While he trusted her completely, he wondered if it would be OK for him to go on the field trip. Because of the early pick up time and late drop off time, he argued on a technicality that he wouldn't be "at" school.She Wasn't Entirely ConvincedThere was a reasonable amount of back and forth. "When do you leave?" she asked. "First thing in the morning!" Johnson replied."When do you come back?" she asked. "3:00!" Johnson urged."[My mom] goes, 'You're not in the school at all?'. I tell her 'No. We get dropped off we get on the bus and we come back at the end of the day.''Jake JohnsonAfter carefully considering it, Johnson's mother ultimately decided it was safe to allow her son to go on the field trip.The next day, the unthinkable happened."This is a true story," Johnson reminds the podcast host before proceeding to reveal what happened next.Her Intuition Couldn’t Have Been More RightNewspapers.comThe saying "you dodged a bullet" is often used in extreme hyperbole, but this is one time, the phrase could not have been more spot on.In an utterly devastating and tragic turn of events — while Johnson and his classmates were far away, eating candy in little Vietnam — the elementary school he attended faced a devastating incident.In his own words, Johnson recounts the incident."May 20th, 1988 a woman walks into my Elementary School through the door that my class was in. I used to get into a lot of trouble as a kid. I used to always talk and so the teacher pushed me in the far right corner so I sat away from the other kids and I was right by the door. A woman walked into the school wearing a robe and nothing underneath. I know me. Especially in 4th grade. I would have commented. I would have said something. I would have tried to show off. I would have tried to get laughs. There's no question. [My classroom] was empty. She walked through. Walked down the hall. Walked into another room. Shot 7 kids — killed one of them." Jake JohnsonThe True Story Behind the Shocking School ShootingOn May 20th 1988, in the town of Winnetka, Laurie Dann entered a second-grade classroom with the claim of educating students about guns. Instead, she proceeded to open fire, resulting in the tragic death of one student and injuries to five others. This horrifying school shooting marked the end of a series of peculiar and violent actions exhibited by a woman grappling with mental illness.Always Follow Your InstinctsThis heartbreaking and shocking story truly reminds us all how valuable it is to follow your instincts, no matter how bizarre they may seem."To this day my mom cannot explain why she didn't want me to go to school.. she later told me: 'I just had a feeling in my gut that if my kid goes to school you'll never see him again.'"Jake Johnson, "Dope As Usual"Even though Eve Johnson's instincts totally came out of left field, something was telling her to trust that voice inside her head, and it made all the difference.Psychology has tried to explain the science behind gut feelings. Some believe intuition is the result of "subconscious processing based on past experiences and emotions."Some people, like Jake and Eve Johnson can't say exactly what it is. But no matter where it comes from, what's most important is that when you "feel it," you follow it.More from Goalcast:Rich Actor Finds Little Boy in Dumpster and Invites Him Over to Her House for Christmas – He Ends Up Completely Changing Her LifeWoman Does 26 Random Acts of Kindness for Each Life Lost in School Shooting — Ripple Effects of This Generosity Still FeltBeloved Janitor Tragically Slain in Nashville School Shooting — Community Rises up and Raises Nearly Half a Million Dollars in His Honor

How A Kidnapping Survivor Who Escaped From A Car Trunk Is Saving Lives
Everyday Heroes

How A Kidnapping Survivor Who Escaped From A Car Trunk Is Saving Lives

One woman used her terrifying car experience to increase safety for children worldwide.Uninvited visitorsJanette Fennell and her husband Greig were returning from an evening out with friends with their nine month old son Alex asleep in the back seat. As they exited their vehicle, two armed intruders wearing ski masks emerged, forcing them into the trunk of their Lexus. The intruders got into the car and peeled off. Unbeknownst to the Fennells, their son was alone in the front foyer. As Fennell told The Hustle, things felt bleak trapped in the trunk."I remember thinking, ‘This is it — this is how it’s going to end."- Janette FennellAn hour later, the car came to a stop. The perpetrators took the couple's money, jewelry and bank cards then slammed the trunk shut as they ran away. Then, through what Fennell called "divine intervention'," the couple managed to pry a strip of metal from under the carpet. “Greig reached over my body, found this little cable, and pulled it,” she recalls. “The trunk went bink and opened up.”The couple immediately called 9-1-1 and rushed home, where they thankfully found their son unharmed.On a missionAlthough her life gradually went back to normal, Fennell kept thinking about how easily her trunk trauma could happen to somebody else."I got to the point of being angry. I started to think, ‘This is ridiculous. Why is there no way to escape a car trunk?’"- Janette FennellAnd so, in the months that followed, Fennell went on a one-woman mission to make emergency release latches mandatory for all vehicles.She wrote letters to all major car manufacturers but received no reply.Fennell then sifted through thousands of news articles and court transcripts (This was B.G, Before Google) to get more data on "non-traffic vehicle accidents". She uncovered hundreds of deaths from those trapped in car trunks, the majority of whom were children playing or kidnapping victims.However, the biggest surprise was discovering that the automobile industry was aware of the problem but turned a blind eye because of profits."It had been brushed off by the auto industry for years. They just didn’t think it was worth the cost."- Janette FennellPop the TRUNCTo ramp up her efforts, Fennell launched the Trunk Releases Urgently Needed Coalition, or TRUNC.Her efforts got the attention of state representatives. Ultimately, despite bellyaching from Big Auto, a bill was passed requiring that all new cars include an emergency trunk release.Be the changeFennell has since become nothing less than a car safety pioneer.She's created Kids and Cars, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness around children and vehicle safety. You can thank them for safety innovations such as rearview cameras and seatbelt reminders for backseat passengers.It all started when Janette Fennell decided to not accept the status quo, and do everything possible to make the world a safer place. "If you look at any safety feature in your vehicle, just know there is somebody who fought and fought and fought to make sure that was there."- Janette FennellThe next time you notice a need for a change, remember that no one will make a bigger impact than you.Uplifting stories: Women Working At Same Restaurant Discover They’re Long-Lost SistersGay Couple Handcuffed For Kissing On The Beach, Outraged Crowd Halts ArrestDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeParis Hilton Didn’t Feel “Safe and Happy” In a Relationship Until She Met Carter Reum

Four Years Ago, He Was A Starving Artist - Today, He's Earning $1M And Giving Most Away
Motivation

Four Years Ago, He Was A Starving Artist - Today, He's Earning $1M And Giving Most Away

After four years of making under a living wage, the playwright of "Slave Play" on Broadway finally signed a couple of big contracts. Then, he decided to give hundreds of thousands away.Keeping theater aliveIn four years of making theatre, Jeremy O. Harris told The New York Times his total commissions amounted to just $22,000. But despite the pandemic in 2020, Harris signed a fashion deal as well as a two-year contract with HBO. He made nearly $1 million and immediately started giving it away.So far, he's contributed to a fund that gives two Black women playwrights $50,000 to work on a project, helped produce streamed versions of the plays "Heroes of the Fourth Turning" and "Circle Jerk," donated a collection of plays written by Black writers to 53 libraries, and offered 152 microgrants of $500 each to US-based playwrights. He's also taken up the cause of helping theater survive the pandemic by contributing to a relief fund and campaigning President Joe Biden to revive the Federal Theatre Project, a Great Depression-era program to fund live art. Harris said he wants to make sure we all have theater to return to when the pandemic is over.“Some might call it philanthropy, but I call it upkeep or maintenance."He's supporting diverse artGrowing up, Harris enjoyed the works of white writers, but wondered if anyone who looked like him had had success. As it turned out, they had, but few people he spoke to talked about Black writers."It was so exciting to see myself in Tennessee Williams, in Beckett and Caryl Churchill. But there came a point where I was like, “Wait, have Black people never done anything like this?” he told The Times. "And when I discovered that not only had they, but so many had done it to wild acclaim, and yet no one I talked to remembered that acclaim or knew those people, I knew that something had to be done about this cultural amnesia."So, with his freshly earned money, Harris wanted to support Black playwrights like him, including by helping two of them work on a project without having to do a side hustle."I wanted to give someone a living wage in New York," he said. "I wanted someone to feel excited about spending a year and a half, maybe two, working on one play, and not feeling compelled to work in a coffee shop or to write in a [television] writers’ room."He isn't exactly richThe money Harris made in 2020 is a lot for many Americans, but not much compared to other elites in the art world, especially when factoring in how little he made in the four years before this. He also doesn't know if this money will continue coming in, but he wanted to give the money away anyway."I don’t know if this money will be the only money I make for the next two years -- I don’t know what the decade will bring for me," he told The Times. "But I felt no qualms about giving this much of it away, because it is more money than I ever imagined I would make, and it’s also more money than I need. And so it feels imperative for me to work and imagine new ways to take care of the people around me."When asked if he considers himself a hero for helping others so soon after making it big, he said 'no.'"I would never say that about myself," Harris said. "For me it’s not heroic -- it feels like the obvious thing that a young artist without much to lose should be doing for their community."An inspiration for all Despite being a fresh entry into the million club, Harris took a huge risk. He doesn't know if he'll make a million next year, or even anything at all. Yet, he still chose to give. Contrary to what he says, he is a hero for doing this, and many others who are much richer than he is should take his lead. If they do, it'll undoubtedly help the world become a fairer place. More uplifting stories:Abandoned By Dad, Penniless Teen Vows To Support Mom – Now He’s A MillionaireThis Boss Just Gave $10 Million in Holiday Bonuses to His 198 EmployeesDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Brave Chaplain Runs Into Burning Notre-Dame to Save Priceless Relics
Everyday Heroes

Brave Chaplain Runs Into Burning Notre-Dame to Save Priceless Relics

As the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris burst into flames, the world watched helplessly; shocked and saddened about the history and art that was being lost. Meanwhile, one man jumped to attention and tried to salvage the irreplaceable.A French chaplain named Jean-Marc Fournier, who serves with the Paris Fire Brigade, ran into the burning cathedral and was able to rescue the Blessed Sacrament and the Crown of Thorns before they too were lost in the flames."Father Fournier is an absolute hero," a member of the emergency services said. "He showed no fear at all as he made straight for the relics inside the cathedral, and made sure they were saved. He deals with life and death every day, and shows no fear."Fournier insists on accompanying the Paris Fire Brigade into Notre-Dame, risking This is not the first time Fournier has risked his own life for the greater good.In 2004, he served with the armed forces in Afghanistan as a chaplain, surviving a deadly ambush. Fournier also bravely ventured the Bataclan music venue in Paris in 2015, after ISIS killed 89 people during an Eagles of Death Metal concet, to pray for those who had lost their lives and comfort those who were injured and grieving.The items he saved from Notre Dame this week are priceless. The Crown of Thorns has been in Paris for almost 800 years now, and thanks to Fournier, it still remains.A few other priceless artifacts were preserved, including the three iconic Rose stained glass windows from the 13th century and the Great Organ.While the destruction at the Notre Dame is no doubt devastating, the stories of people rising in the face of tragedy and doing what they can remains so inspirational for all of us.