The Little Things
Last night as I was walking down Taylor St. a younger woman waved and said hello as she pasted by. It took a moment before I rememberd where I had seen her and it turned out she is one of the employees at Hot Lips Pizza who takes out the left over pizza after closing. Lately she has also been bringing out a pizza box so I will have something to easily carry my dinner. She is always very pleasant and shares a little small talk while doing what she has to do out back.
There are a good many people I encounter on a daily basis and most who I have seen on the street at other times make a point of not seeing me for fear others may judge them for interacting with someone of my ilk. It’s amazing how such a small gesture made a positive impact on my evening. The next time I see her I will make a point of letting her know just how much I appreciated her recognition.
Sincerely,
Pdxurbanoutdoorsman
p.s.
I was told my logic as to people not giving me eye contact was possibly flawed so on my way to the library I decided to see who was right. Guess what folks, I was wrong. Mark this day on your calender because I will do what I can to keep this from happening again.
In our society people for the most part avoid eye contact with strangers regardless of social and economic standing. Sure my initial observation was accurate but what I surmised was incorrect. Thankyou Seeker for allowing me to see the errors of my ways.
Does this change the good feeling I got from the experience? Not at all. But it has taught me not to be so critical of the initial reactions of others.
Sure I could have just deleted the post but I chose not to because I am such a great guy*.
*can you smell the bullshit?
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your generosity of spirit and open-mindedness which allowed the experiment to take place. Yes, I very much enjoy the recognition of others when striding about in the city. I try to be the first to break the social isolation that is part of our culture by being the first to acknowledge others when passing others on the street or in the hallways of building. I used to feel really self-conscious and embarrassed when others didn’t return the acknowledgment – now I feel joyful that at least, in the crazy world, I tried to do something positive and I feel good about the effort.
Thanks, once again, for sharing.