I learned a valuable lesson on Friday.
I was waiting for a bus, just sitting on a bench minding my own business, and I noticed a frum girl sitting next to me. Actually, I'd noticed her before I sat down and thought, I guess now we'll studiously ignore each other...but I started to think. Really think. What will it hurt if I said hi to her?
Maybe I'll be embarrassed, maybe she'll say something incredibly nasty, look at me like I'm slime, scum of the earth, and move to sit out of the way of my contamination. But...maybe she's just shy. Maybe she's not smiling 'cause she's afraid of what I'm afraid of - not recieving a smile back. But then maybe I'm just as bad as all the people I complain about. Maybe I'm the one who's unfriendly and unsmiling...
S0 I put a smile on my face and said "Hello, I'm trw!" And, lo and behold, she looked at me and smiled back!
People, inside, are really kind (as a general rule). They're just shy. In some places, they're so sure of rejection that they're afraid to say hello. So try it. Just once. Smile at the person. It makes you feel better, 'cause you get that whole self rightous "I'm being nice" thing. And it certainly makes the other person feel better.
The world can be a lonely place. Or a lovely place. It's your decision.
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1 comment:
That's a very nice story. :-D We should hear more of them...
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