The kindness of strangers, and ourselves

Note: This was first posted on the Romancing the Genres blog

Thanks to old Covid habits and retirement, I don’t get out as often as I used to. My main haunts outside my house are the grocery store, the gym, the library, and the post office. (Yes, I still use snail mail!) But even with my limited activity, I still see the kindness of strangers on a regular basis.

It’s common in my town for people to acknowledge each other, usually with a smile but sometimes verbally. I get many “Good morning” or “Hi!” greetings from employees and customers at these places.  I also do the same. It’s a small way of saying, “I see you as a fellow human being.”

Living in Alaska, there’s often opportunity to talk about the weather. During a recent cold snap, as we left the building, the guy next to me said, “Whoa!” It was natural to reply, “Yeah, it’s really cold today,” and chat for a minute before we went our separate ways. This also works when it’s snowing hard, too warm for this time of year, you get the idea. I have snatches of conversation with strangers on a regular basis. It feels nice to make that connection.

My favorite grocery store moment is when a young man was looking at the cereal and I hesitated to pass in front of him, not wanting to block him if he was about to reach for a box. He met my eyes, waved me on, and said “Go ahead, Mama.” It tickled me to hear him call me that. Maybe I reminded him of his mama or grandma? Maybe he was calling me an elder? Whatever the reason, I felt seen. I smiled through the rest of my shopping.

Maybe these small kindnesses won’t change the world. But they might make someone’s day. And they help build a sense of community. The next time you’re out running errands, take a moment to show kindness to the people around you. It just might make the world a better place.