“So much opportunity resides in one simple word: Hi” – © 2009 Rodney Williams
I recall the day I wrote that quote and mentally reference
daily. Two weeks back, I put Hi to work
again. I live in the Durham/Shephard area,
and as most Houstonians know, the streets have been a huge construction mess for
a while. New drainage and new lanes are being added both north and south.
I pulled in the parking lot of the local drinkery to have a cold
one with some friends, and as I was parking, I looked over to see three
construction workers reviewing plans on the tailgate of a truck. Before I
walked in the bar, I went over to the truck for a little Hi action. As I was walking over, I could see the oh
crap look on their face. I got up to the truck and said Hi, shook their hands, and
said: I’ve lived in this area for 25 years and wanted to say thank you for the much-needed
drainage and road upgrades. They did get
an odd look on their face and responded: thank you sir…most people scream at us
for doing our job like we are intentionally messing up their commute.
I said thank you again and walked inside. After a few minutes, I
walked back outside and said: let me buy y’alls lunch and gave each of them
some money. Again, the look on their faces was something to see. They again said
thank you with big smiles. Each time I
see them now, they smile, wave, and say Hi.
I’m not sharing the story to get a pat on the back or anything. I’m
sharing the story to remind everyone how powerful saying Hi can be, and the ease
of random acts of kindness.
When you get out today, look for opportunities to say Hi to someone
and pass on a little kindness. It does make a difference in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment