Behind the scenes.

A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. ~Dave Barry, "Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn"

I was on an airplane yesterday sitting next to someone who does not value the work other people do to make our lives easier.  She was obviously someone of importance in her line of work, and it was evident that she thought the flight attendants were beneath her.  It bothered me.  There is no reason to be so haughty to someone who is simply doing their job.  If you're slow about turning off your computer when you've been asked to (because you're doing important work, I'm sure) then there is no reason to be snarky to the attendant who asks you if you are shutting it down.  

I wasn't always as publicly chatty as I am now.  I test out as being an introvert, or at least all the times I remember taking that personality test that's what I've been labeled.  But, it's always nice to be on the receiving end of someone with a positive expression and you don't need to be an extrovert in order to be nice.  So, I do my best to project a positive attitude when I'm dealing with other people.  I don't always.  Most of the time, but everyone has an off day. 

It doesn't take much.  A sincere smile goes a long way.  A fake smile is better than nothing.  A little friendly chit-chat goes even farther.  It doesn't have to be anything much.  Something to make some sort of connection with the people you are interacting with.  Look around you.  Look and see all those people doing jobs that don't get much attention.  

In our media saturated society it seems that everyone dreams of being a star.  All those reality TV shows that turn people into stars, doesn't everyone dream of being a star?  It takes a lot of people to make a star.  I'm not just talking about the make-up artists and sound people either.  What about the people so far behind the scenes that you don't even know they're there?

Who made that bread you're eating?  Who caught and processed the tuna between those pieces of bread?  Who loaded the cans of tuna onto the truck so that someone could drive those cans of tuna to a grocery store near you?  Who unloaded the truck, who stacked the cans, who rang up your bread and tuna purchases at the grocery store?  At my grocery store, they also bag your groceries for you.  I always give the check out clerk and bagger a smile and a thank you.  That person; and so many others, made that tuna sandwich possible.  It's nice to let them know that you appreciate the job they've done so that you could have something for lunch.

It doesn't take much effort to be nice to other people.  Be crabby when you're home alone.  It doesn't take long for a fake smile to become real.  Share a smile, and chances are pretty good that one will be reflected back at you by the people you are interacting with.  See if that doesn't change your fake smile to a real one. 

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.  ~Mother Teresa