A Lesson Learned & Shared

I was trying to come up with something to blog today and just as the universe does all the time, not only the topic but also a great story to go along with it, was dropped right in my lap.

I was doing my grocery shopping at Meijer when while looking over the marinades an older gentleman came up. As he was looking over the Worcestershire sauces he commented that the bottle he was looking at, in the brand name that he wanted, was too large. I pointed out that the bottle next to it was 5 ounces less. He grabbed that bottle, thanked me and said, "My name is Walter. You are a gentleman and scholar and there are not too many of us left."

I introduced myself and then replied, "I always say that chivalry is not dead, just mortally wounded."

Walter laughed and then proceeded to ask, "Did you ever notice that people don't just talk to anyone anymore?" "We do not just talk to complete strangers, why is that?"

I said, "I don't know, I do it all the time."

Walter responded by asking me, "Do you know who Leo Buscaglia is?" "I believe he was a teacher at UCLA or somewhere like that and wrote some books about life."

I answered, "Yes, I know who he is."

Walter then proceeded to tell me a story. He said that he was in New Jersey with his sister, a nephew. who is a priest, and his mother. As they were driving to the beach, his sister started telling him about how Leo Buscaglia said that the world would be such a better place if we simply engaged complete strangers in conversations. Walter's sister said, "Boy isn't that the truth. The world would be such a nicer place if we all just did what Leo said."

Upon arriving at their destination, Walter got out of the car and spotted two 40 something females coming towards them. Walter said that he greeted the ladies enthusiastically with "Good morning ladies. Isn't it a beautiful day?"

The ladies replied back with hellos and said that it was indeed a beautiful day.

All of a sudden Walter's sister piped up and scolded Walter by saying, "Stop making such a fool of yourself."

The ladies retorted that they did not mind him speaking with them at all.

Walter then said to the ladies, "I am so sorry to have interrupted your day but you see I grew up with two sisters and a mother who all talked to me that way."

One of the ladies responded, "Whooo, must have been rough."

As the ladies walked away, Walter and his nephew began to laugh.

Walter stopped the story to explain to me that his sister always called the ones she loved "idiots."

So, Walter said, his sister turns to him and her son and said, "What are you two idiots laughing about?"

Walter stopped laughing and replied to his sister, "What were you just talking about back in the car about the world being a better place if we just engaged strangers in conversation? Isn't that what I just did and you ridiculed me for it?"

Walter said that his sister's jaw dropped and she shook her head in acknowledgment that he was right.

Walter went on to say that it just seems that people know the right thing to do and talk about the right thing to do but just can't seem to find the strength to actually do it.

I thanked Walter for sharing with me today. As he walked away, he turned around and said, "May God bless you!" I replied, "And you too!"

So, did you get the lesson here? It is not enough to just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. Like I always say, I do not care what you call yourself, just love one another. It is not the words that I care about, it is the deeds. So, let's all work on making the world a better place, like Walter, and start engaging complete strangers in conversation. It does not have to be anything more than a greeting and smile. And if conversation with complete strangers is not easy for you, just smile at others. Either way I know you will make some one's day brighter.

Make it a great day!