To no longer let ignorant people annoy me, to just brush them off and continue on with my day.
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am in a parking lot or in a car line and I'll stop to let someone cross in front of me or I'll let another car out in front of me and the person I've just yielded to walks off without so much as a smile let alone a thank you, or the person in the car pulls off in front of me like they own the road, common courtesy is really not that hard people.
I have been heard to say "That's the last time I'll do that." but of course it's not.
Today I was driving past the local hypermarket when an elderly man who was looking pissed off at the world came out of the store with a loaded shopping cart, he stood waiting for all the cars to pass him by, I stopped and waved him on, he looked, he stared, he grimaced BUT then the smallest of a grin spread across his face and he crossed in front of my car, smiling all the way to his car.
He made me smile, he made me feel light in my heart, I drove a little further and another elderly man was waiting to cross, I slowed down, he walked in front of me, not even acknowledging me, at the last entrance to the store a woman walked out strode in front of my car, again no acknowledgement just "Grumble, grumble, grumble"
So 2 out of 3 people ignored me and that's ok, the twinkle I swear I saw in that first elderly mans eyes made it all worth while. I think about him and he makes me smile.
Today I could have chosen to have driven on making those people wait for me and my day would have been no different, but I chose to stop and for one old man, I don't know what thought process it sparked off, but it was something and you know what ? That makes me happy, I could have missed out on that and on a day like today where I have felt like nothing has gotten accomplished and it has been one frustration after another I think back to him and for a minute those frustrations go away.
A minute of kindness really takes nothing out of your day, but it sure can add a lot.
2 comments:
great post, Penny!
Could not agree more! And i am so with you... all I want is a smile, or SOMETHING... just an acknowledgement that I was nice to you, and you could be nice back, lol. But I totally agree that I do it becuase it is the RIGHT thing, and if they don't realize it, well, it is THEIR loss, really... because I am happier for being a good person!!!
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