Smile At A Stranger Part Two
Over the years I have found myself following Big Sisâ lead in many things (remember the photo with us both wearing the same dressđŹ). After all she is the older wiser sister. I was quite intrigued with her âsmile at a strangerâ experiment and decided to try it myself and see what happened. Here for you is a description of some of my more interesting, unexpected interactions with strangers.
Cooking Things Up
When I was checking out at the grocery store I smiled at the cashier and asked him what he was hearing from customers about cookware that the store was offering on a promotion. He said that he had heard good things about it and it seemed to be selling fast. Unbeknownst to me the person in line behind me heard our conversation and chimed in saying that she had some of the cookware and really liked it. I asked her more about the cookware and we had a nice chat while we both packed our groceries. It was the most enjoyable time I ever had packing groceries. I left the store with a big smile on my face.
Workout Buddies
Iâve attended a group fitness class for about the past year and recently some new people joined the class. Most of the group has been together for quite a while and do not necessarily give off the most welcoming vibe. So I thought this would be the perfect time to try engaging one of our new group members and see what happened. After class I smiled at her and commented on the beautiful scarf that she was wearing. Her face immediately lit up and she told me that her sister had made it for her and that she treasured it. This led to a friendly chat about what brought her to the class and we decided to go out for coffee and continue our conversation. I learned many interesting things about her and now consider her a new friend.
Hairy Tale
Some would say I spend an inordinate amount of time concerned about my hair. Iâve had the same haircut for many years (I know, I know) and am quite particular about how I like it done. I live in fear that my current hair stylist will decide to move or otherwise not be available to me, so I am always on the lookout for people with haircuts similar to mine in case I need to find a new stylist pronto. I am also going grey and not so thrilled to be in that salt and pepper stage, so I tend to notice when people have grey hair that I like. I find these two things provide ample opportunity to engage with people and most are not shy sharing their stories. One memorable interaction was with a lady who had the most beautiful shade of grey hair. She seemed young to have grey hair and sure enough she told me it had taken hours at the salon getting the color and the upkeep was proving to be both time consuming and expensive. I left this conversation with a smile and a new appreciation of my naturally âsilverâ hair.
The Lesson
I wasnât really sure what to expect when I decided to start this experiment but it turns out that I got far more out of it than I expected â a new friend, some good advice and a new appreciation for packing groceries. But by far the most interesting thing that happened was every time I smiled at a stranger it brought to mind our mom and how much she would love that we were doing this. She was a master at smiling at strangers and making new friends wherever she went. In a way it helps keep her memory alive for me and so I have decided not to end the experiment but to keep on smiling at strangers! And what I know for sure is Betty Would Love That.
