Why Shows like 'Returning the Favor' Give Hope

Like many other people, I have been known to scroll through my Facebook feed and click on videos that I find interesting, informative, or funny. One day earlier this summer, I was drawn to a video tagged Returning The Favor. I had no idea what the video would be about, and in all honesty, the video's subject escapes me while writing this. I suppose it doesn't really matter, as I wait eagerly for the next instalment of the show to drop on Facebook Watch. At the time, I saw that Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs was involved, so I was in. I've always liked him, so I was curious about what would draw him to a show on Facebook Watch.

Yes, you read that right—Facebook Watch. It's something that I didn't even know existed until I clicked on my first Returning The Favor video.

Anyways, I think it's fair to say that the world we live in seems somehow more negative in this current era. There's a United States president who regularly denigrates any and all comers who might choose to disagree with his policies, his politics, or heaven forbid, him in general. The employment landscape continues to shift, as it does when the world becomes more modernized, and that, too, can lead to a sense of instability. Even just surfing through social media might lead some to conclude that people have just lost a sense of hope and positivity to get through any given day, and that's kind of sad.

However, I quickly realized that with Returning The Favor, I felt a whole lot better about the world we're living in, or at least some of the people living in it.

The show looks at what #MikeRowe has called in his intro "bloody do-gooders." This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to those people who do things with no tangible benefit to themselves—people who take things on just because there are people in need or there is a need in the community for something to happen. There's Donovan, a 14-year-old previously homeless boy who learned to make soap as part of a home schooling lesson from his mother and then started making custom soaps to sell and also to donate to local homeless shelters. There are several individuals doing things to make things better for veterans, ranging from a gentleman training dogs to help veterans with their invisible battle scars such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are teenagers running fresh food banks because they didn't think it was right that those needing a food bank should feel they were somehow less deserving of fresh foods. There's a young lady who's established a "training camp" of sorts for girls to help them learn trade skills like carpentry.

These are just a few of the folks honored by #ReturningTheFavor, and unlike other shows of the same type that have come before, there is not a sense of schmaltz or anything where you might feel as though you're going to cry from the moment the show starts. Rowe and his producer of the day—it could be Sarah Youngrau, Lucien Delabruere, Jacob Huddleston, or Steven Sims, among others—approach each honoree with humor and with heart. Sure, it's quite probable that you'll end up in tears at the end of the episode, but Rowe and the team featured on screen even approach that with a good sense of humor, acknowledging that with the reveal will generally come tears.

It's not hard to enjoy a show like this, and when Rowe is there, genuinely interested as he learns about each honoree and offering the occasional joke or grin as he goes through the show, you realize just how utterly charming he is. You also see why these honorees are so compelling. Sure, their desire to give back in some ways may very well be motivated by something that's happened in their pasts, but it's clear that these people are so passionate about what they're doing and believe so much in their individual causes that you'll probably feel inspired to try and somehow make a difference, too.

That's something Rowe acknowledges too. It seems that he would like to see others give back in the way the honorees from Returning The Favor have done, and why not? When you see people being so inspirational by doing such good things—teaching kids about the importance of healthy eating, or trying to help kids who are struggling with mental health challenges or homelessness (or both), for instance (and individuals who have done exactly these things have also been honored on the show)—it's hard not to think about what's happening in your own community and wonder how you can make a difference yourself.

Returning The Favor is a web-based show in a world that is, whether for bad or good, becoming increasingly more technologically reliant. It's come at a time where some of us might need that renewal of faith in humanity as a whole, and it's fun, funny, and heartwarming. It's positive energy where many might feel there isn't enough of that in the world, and I hope it continues for a good long while.