I wanted to post an interesting interaction yesterday that happened at a local store that stocks amazing fruits and vegetables along with some wine and a few other things (cheese, some prepared food). I have found that I walk around with a giant smile on my face and sleep like a baby these past few days since I officially retired. I am visibly happy. And with that people seem to strike up conversations when I am just minding my own business, apparently smiling away. Yesterday as I was standing at the fruit counter picking through the lemons and limes a woman says, "These plums are so fragrant!' I turned to her and said, "I know, they have the best fruit here." Now, in cranky mood, trying to race through the weekend or thinking about how short summer is, I may have ignored this woman if not frowned at her. I always felt so busy and so out of time. She went on because I was smiling, "I just moved here 8 months ago and it's hard living here because people aren't always so nice. Some guy just knocked into me with his cart and kept on talking without saying anything to me." I know this thinking and so I told her, "Well, I moved here 20 plus years ago and used to think the same thing. I used to be a runner. I'd fly home to Washington state and as I was running the back roads of my home town people would wave and yell, "Hello!" I thought they were insane fools and for the first few days or so I'd mind my own business and just keep running but then, eventually, I'd start waving and smiling back." I went on, "And then I'd come back to the East and while running around town I'd smile and wave and people would frown and turn away from me like I was an escapee from the local mental health facility." She nodded and told me with excitement and an twinkle in her eyes, "I am from Bremerton, Washington!" I told her of course I knew where that was because I was from Seattle. And then I went on to tell her what I have learned after all these years. People are the same underneath. For some reason, weather? history? New Englanders can be "crusty" but that's not who they are underneath. "OK, I will believe you," she smiled as I moved on shopping. I picked up a box of relatively tasteless, gluten-free mulit-seed rice crackers (in my never-ending quest to eat in a healthy way) and as I rolled my cart by her she was still debating which plums to put in her basket. She was frowning. "Smile!" I said to her. She did smile, a big smile and said, "You have a great day!"
Click on the link below! Louis Armstrong singing.....guess what!
http://www.jango.com/guests/history
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