One bright morning, after biking to Ocean Beach, I encountered a scene that struck me deeply.

The sun illuminated the golden sands, the waves splashing white as they kissed the shore. On the sidewalk, however, laid rotten watermelon rinds, filthy food containers, and refuse spilling from a garbage bag with a huge gash in its side. Someone had emptied every garbage can along the beach all over the pavement.

As I continued my ride, I spotted an older woman carefully loading the filth back into the garbage bins.

Noticing her well-kept appearance and kitchen gloves, I realized she wasn’t a city sanitation worker.

I paused and sincerely thanked her for her for what she was doing.

She turned to me, surprised, and said, “Thank you for saying that. You’re the first person to acknowledge me all week.” She stepped closer. “People see me and think, ‘Oh, she’s just an old Asian woman collecting bottles for money.’ But this is my church. I can’t stand to see it like this.”

Her name was Joy.

No, she doesn’t have to do what she’s doing. There are people that are paid to do that. Joy mentioned that when she does run into sanitation workers, they try to run her off.

But she’s doing it because she can and because the beach deserves better.

It’s easy to be critical and let our frustrations fester; but here is someone who took action. No superhero, Joy is a person unafraid to get her hands dirty for the greater good.

Wishing you many Joys in your life this month.

I released a track this month called Dragons of Eden. It’s dedicated to Carl Sagan, who would have turned 90 on November 9. Happy birthday, Carl. You brought joy to so many you came in contact with, and beyond.