Friday, January 30, 2015

Hi's and Lows


     Saying hello can start a relationship or continue a friendship. What happens when you accidently speak to someone you don’t like?

     Last summer, I’d decided to sleep in on a Sunday after being utterly exhausted from the work week. When I awoke, I decided to take a long run I’d been putting off. I ran for three hours. I could feel my stress from the previous week melt away as the sun warmed me. The slow breeze lightly blowing against my face cooled me as I sweat. In a word, it was perfect. It was just the music from my iPod, the sidewalk and me. I felt amazing.

     Shortly after my run, I saw a woman and a man jogging with a stroller. I moved over on the sidewalk to let them through.

     “Hey! How are you?” the woman replied.

     “Good. How are you?” I said as the woman whizzed past.

     Seconds later, I realized it was Jocelyn, her husband and her child in the stroller. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be civil, but it’s annoying when you accidentally greet someone who grates your nerves. Unfortunately, I find myself in this situation all the time.

     When speaking, you should always consider the audience. Especially when that audience is someone you don’t want to engage. This keeps you from giving a greeting that you ultimately wished you kept.

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