Elderly Man Has Given Away Brooches to Strangers That 'Need Sparkle' for Last 6 Years
When we’re young, the whole world seems full of glittery wonder. Trips to the playground, birthdays, holidays — each individual moment can fill us with a joyful sense of anticipation.
Then life intervenes, and responsibilities start to loom large. There’s a rising sense of being measured or evaluated in various ways.
As we grow older, even more obligations gradually creep in. We need to care for our families and loved ones. We read about troubling world events and we silently fret and worry.
For many of us, by the time we’re full-fledged adults, that early sense of hopeful childhood sparkle has long since faded away.
Maybe that’s why the activities of 73-year-old Myron Boyer began capturing media attention back in 2016. Good News Network and other sources mention that Boyer is a resident of Portland, Oregon — a city that already enjoys its own wonderfully whimsical reputation.
Boyer himself wins regular grins in an imaginative and touching way: He hands out shimmering pins and brilliant antique brooches to unsuspecting strangers all over town.
It’s an activity that has also earned this benevolent gentleman an affectionate nickname. According to an interview he did with The Oregonian, Boyer is known as “The Bling Fairy.”
Boyer explains that local antique shops provide him with some personal discounts. But all told, he estimates that he’s spent thousands of dollars from his own savings to buy these eye-catching miniature gifts over the years.
He often stops by the popular Hollywood Farmers Market on Hancock Street, looking for folks who might need some encouraging cheer. He’s been spotted in several other areas as well.
Boyer typically strolls up with roughly four to 12 twinkling trinkets pinned right to his shirt. “I talk to everybody,” he told The Oregonian. “I just can’t help myself.”
And that conversation often incorporates two key components. First, he disarmingly asks if the individual in question might like a free pin.
Second, he may occasionally share a quick anecdote about his dearly departed old friend, Bob Lamberson.
Turns out Boyer began giving out these bits of bling to honor Lamberson, who passed away in 2012 due to complications from leukemia treatment. By all accounts, Lamberson absolutely loved glittering gems and rhinestones.
Lamberson was also a theater buff with an endearingly upbeat personality. Boyer told The Oregonian that he brought his friend plenty of colorful costume jewelry over the course of his grueling treatments.
After Lamberson’s tragic death, Boyer wanted to thank the healthcare professionals who had helped to support his brave comrade. So he began giving away the spangled pins to nurses — and noticed that it almost always brightened people’s outlook.
These days, Boyer isn’t shy about approaching almost anyone, and some people are initially skeptical. The world can be a cynical place, after all, and folks understandably wonder what his agenda might be.
But after a few friendly minutes of reassuring conversation, most are glad to accept his kindly offering. Boyer told The Oregonian that he’s literally shared a tiny bit of sparkle with adults and kids of all ages.
“Putting one smile a day on someone’s face is making the world better,” he explained. “That’s basically where it’s at.”
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