LANSING, Mich. — Holt resident Rose Jangmi Cooper loves nothing more than to ride her motorcycle while singing at the top of her lungs.
If you drive around mid-Michigan, you’ve probably even seen her. Cooper says, especially during the summer months, she likes nothing more than to get on her motorcycle and take a ride. Often, she’ll have friends join her.
“I feel just this openness, and I express it that way. And, if somebody sees that and their day is made, if they smile, if they laugh, even if they say, ‘what’s wrong with her,’ no matter how they experienced it, if they remember that enough to come back and say, ‘I experienced you, and that experience did something for me today,’ that's so fulfilling,” Cooper says.
And Cooper is helping a lot of people smile. She is well known, especially around Lansing. Lori Hurst says whenever she sees Cooper, her day is brightened.
“It just brings joy when you're outside and listening to somebody was having fun, and you know, enjoy in their own life," Hurst said. "You just love that. I love to see that.”
Cooper says a couple of years ago she was taking her grandson Kevin for a ride, and he noticed something she didn’t.
“We want past Meijer on south Pennsylvania, and Kevin, my grandson, said, ‘There is someone under those trees.’ Kevin asked me to pull over and give them water and a granola bar. I was nervous about doing it, but I did it. He inspired me," Cooper said.
Cooper says, ever since that day with her grandson Kevin, she packs her bike with water and granola bars and hands them out all over town.
“To have something and not try to give somebody something it just feels selfish to me when I could do something," Cooper said. "Even if I'm tired, I can get and give out water. I can get and give out a granola bar. If I have gas in this bike, and I'm already going out anyway, why not?”
Metro Melik says he loves seeing her ride by his Old Town store.
“Not only is she helping people in dire straits, but if you're a delivery person and you are sweating on a day like today when it's 90 degrees, she will hand you frozen water. And she will also hand you a snack to help pep you up,” he said.
Cooper says her grandson Kevin is always inspiring her to help others.
“He texts me, and the text will say, ‘there's somebody homeless on this street in case you want to go give him something.’ This is not a question, ‘in case you want.’ He says, ‘in case,’ but what he's telling me is get your butt out there and go give them some water," she said. "I'll respond to that because if I want him to be a good world citizen, I must be one too. This is him making me a better person, and I'm trying my hardest to be the person he believes I am.
Rose Jangmi Cooper we want to say thank you for bringing joy to so many people by authentically singing at the top of your lungs and giving out cold water and snacks while riding your motorcycle.
You are this week’s Good Neighbor.
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