As noted in my last entry in this category, I am a proponent of conversations and strokes (those little “hellos” to strangers). I love surprising people with a smile and a hello.

This morning, after an awards ceremony at my daughter’s school, I stopped by my favorite Starbucks. As usual, their staff was fantastic. By the time I got to the register three employees had greeted me and started small conversations. That is exactly why I love this Starbucks … they are friendly and make me feel appreciated.

After Starbucks I stopped at Costco to get gas. As I was at the pump thinking through my day I was pulled back into the present by a very warm, “Hello, how are you today?” The attendant was walking from car to car greeting each of the customers. The conversations weren’t long, but he was attentive to each response and gave a reply back. I also noticed that when the customers asked him how he was, he did not give the same pat answer. Each time he used different words to express that he was well. And each time I watched a smile come across the customer’s face.

I’m not relating these stories as a commercial for these companies but rather as a way to illustrate my point. People like to be noticed and feel connected. And something as simple as a good-morning greeting can make that happen.

As you go about your day today, take the time to smile and say hello to those around you. You, and they, will be glad you did.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 at 11:51 am and is filed under Words. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.