The Woodward News

Opinion

January 14, 2010

What happened to hello?

Why can’t we say hello to each other anymore?

The other day I was enjoying a stroll with my dog Phoebe around our neighborhood. Finally the thermometer had caught up with the abundant sunshine, making it a practically perfect day to walk my dog.

I was just thinking this to myself as we approached our home, when a complete stranger, also out for a walk, decided to greet me and make a similar remark.

Instead of responding politely to his “it’s a nice day to walk your dog,” I immediately tensed up with suspicion.

Who was this person? Why was he talking to me? Was he trying to catch me off guard with his civility before revealing his true ill intentions?

Even as he bid me good day and continued on his way, I was still looking over my shoulder and wondered what he really meant by being nice to me.

But soon my questions turned from what was wrong with him to what was wrong with me?

After all, the only thing he had done was say hello to me and make a few benign comments about the weather before wishing me a nice day. But I not only refused to return his greeting, I reacted with suspicion, which I’m sure must have been obvious because I can never hide my emotions well.

Yet despite my negative reaction, his positive demeanor toward me had never changed.

Almost immediately I began to regret my rudeness. But more than that, I found myself regretting that I was not more like him.

In his one little hello, he had shown a sort of brave kindness. Because for as much as he was a stranger to me, I was also a stranger to him and yet he still offered a kind word not knowing if I would (or really even seeming to mind when I did) react badly.

I can only hope that the interaction hadn’t upset him as much as it had upset me; hope that my reaction didn’t give him the same pause for thought as it had me and make him think about changing his behavior.

I hope he goes on saying hello to strangers and wishing them a good day, because maybe it might catch on.

Maybe we might return once again to a society where strangers can smile and say hello to each other.



Rowynn Ricks is the assistant editor for the Woodward News. She can be reached for comment at reporter1@woodwardnews.net.

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