Greet Them With a Smile

1-29-13

Lauren,

Let me tell you about this dude I met over the weekend.  For now, we'll call him Ted the $20 Dude.  This guy taught me another valuable lesson (or more like reminded me of a lesson), and I'm going to share that lesson with you.

Ted the $20 Dude was visiting where I work with his wife and daughter.  There was nothing that really stood out about Ted.  He was probably in his late 40s, had the typical "dad belly," and wanted a drink to calm his nerves after a long day.  So he came up to the bar and started talking to me.  I, being my normal self, listened and responded when appropriate.

Then Ted, after talking to me for a bit, told me about how his vacation wasn't going the greatest and that he always seemed to have "bad luck."  He thanked me for being nice to him.  And he told me multiple times that he'd bring me a cash tip the next day.  I didn't really expect him to, but I said "Okay, no problem" and continued to talk to him until he left the bar.

The next day Ted came back to the bar again.  I said hi, smiled and asked if his day was getting any better.  He told me a few things and then said "I told you I'd be back with this," and tossed a $20 bill on the counter.  He said thanks again.  He told me how much it meant to him that I was nice, and that he could tell it was a genuine part of my personality.  I thanked him again, and then went about my day.

So here's the lesson of this story: you never know who you'll meet and how your actions will affect them.  You may meet someone like Ted the $20 Dude who is having a rough day and simply needs someone to be kind to him.  It's like the Golden Rule says, "Treat others how you want to be treated."  Not only is it rewarding for the person, but it can be rewarding for you, too.  It is a great feeling to know that you helped someone to have a better day. 

So, I hope you take this to heart.  It may be cheesy but it's the truth.  Treat others with kindness and respect, and try to greet them with a smile.  You never know who you'll meet :)

Keep your head up girly!

Love,

Meghan