Kate Matsuda · 9 answers · 2mo

Did you know that being kind to somebody just takes a second but the other person might have a day enlightened and might carry that memory for a lifetime.

I do. I've worked in shops and bars and cafes, and I know how nice it is when a customer spends a moment chatting about something. I read something a while ago about the joy of speaking to strangers. People were tasked with going on buses, into shops etc where they had to start a five minute conversation with a random stranger. They were terrified, but they ended up having some terrific conversations - some lasting far more than five minutes. There was also a woman who walked past a cafe every day on her way to work. She'd see the cafe owner every day as she passed. One day she smiled - the cafe lady smiled back - and she carried on her way suddenly feeling joyful. Then they started waving to each other. Then one day she left early and went in for a coffee. Just like that, she'd made a friend. I now make a point of telling someone their dog is cute, or I like their bag, even pulling funny faces at their kids (I know!). I was in a coffee shop a couple of weeks ago and the lady behind me was wearing sparkly glitter shoes. I said, "Those shoes are spectacular!" She was really pleased and told me how she was a bit worried they were a bit too much for a woman her age. We decided: nah!

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