The other day I went through the drive through of a fast food restaurant. The young man at the 1st window who collected my money barely looked at me and I am convinced would not have been able to tell if I was male or female 2 minutes later. At the 2nd window, the young man who handed me my food gave me a bright smile, brief eye contact and said thank you. That little effort made an impression on me.
I see people in check out lines barely acknowledge the person scanning their items. It seems people are too busy on their phones or talking to the person shopping with him or her to acknowledge the person on the other side of the counter. All cashiers wear name tags. It does not take much effort to notice the name and acknowledge that person. Even without using the name, a simple “hi, how are you?” or “have a nice day” can go a long ways to helping that cashier feel appreciated for the job she or he is doing.
When did we get to be so impersonal in our interactions with others? In a fast paced world, with a zillion distractions, it seems we forget that we do not live in a bubble and it takes other people to provide us with the various services and conveniences we have come to rely on. Making a little extra effort to smile, make a bit of small talk, use those “magic words” of please and thank you tells that other person that she or he has value. The cost is nothing. No money spent on the effort. And no extra time either, since you are standing in line anyway.
After all there is that old cliché about a smile being contagious.
Shalom,
Nancy
President