it's in the little things

Every once in a while I'll read something or hear something that just sticks.  (Okay, a lot of things "stick" - my memory's not that bad). My parents raised me to be a polite young lady with good manners (most of the time, anyway. Get too comfortable with me and the manners might slip a bit). But there are a few things that I picked up on all by myself (reading and hearing and stuff) that I try to do whenever I can.  Here's just a few off the top of my head:

Whenever I go to the store, gas station, restaurant, I always take care to hand the person helping me the money directly.  I don't leave it on the counter or slide it over.  I count it out and put it in their hand.  They are a person and doesn't that just seem more personal to you?  

 

Another one that seems to take people by surprise is if I call them by the name on their name tag. If I can see their name tag then at some point in our conversation, I'm going to use it.  Most often it is after they have handed me my change and I will say, "Thank you, Kathy." (Lady who helped today at Target was named Kathy. True story).  Quite often they will glance up and make eye contact with me as they say, "You're welcome," or "Have a nice day!"  You ever done that before ?  It's kinda a cool thing to see.  Again, they are a person; they have a name.  Treat them like something more than just their job because they are more than just the person in the red shirt and khaki pants behind the Customer Service counter.

This last one makes me giggle because of my kids' reaction.  In walking, we pass many people: in and out if stores, walking on the sidewalk, waiting in line... People everywhere.  Well sometimes I will greet someone as I walk by them.  If my kids are with me, they never fail to ask: "Who was that, Mom? Do we know them?" I smile and just explain that I was being friendly.  They think I know everybody!  Well I do, kinda...

I guess the point of this one is just this: people are people , no matter what they do or where they live. Let's keep trying keep the personal side alive, especially in our world of electronics where we can tend to distance ourselves through a computer/phone/tablet/whatever screen. 

Now is the time where I go back to the beginning and proofread about 3-5 times checking for spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.  I think this time I'll just make sure it makes sense because I can barely keep my eyes open!

Goodnight!

KC